Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Birmingham Airport

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of the High Speed Two station at Birmingham airport; and how that station will be funded.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The High Speed Two Birmingham Interchange Station, near Birmingham Airport, is funded from the £55.7bn funding envelope (in 2015 prices). The estimate of the cost and funding arrangements are commercially sensitive. Last year the Chancellor announced £300m of funding for making passive provision on HS2 for junctions which would allow HS2 infrastructure to accommodate potential future Northern Powerhouse Rail and Midlands Connect services.

Railways: Visual Impairment

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that non-electronic copies of train timetables are available for people who have visual impairments or who cannot easily access timetables online.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: This Government is determined to ensure that disabled people have the same access to transport as everyone else, and that they are able to travel easily and with confidence. Stations must display relevant information on information displays. In addition, through their Franchise Agreements train companies are required to make timetable information available and free of charge in booklets or similar format at staffed stations. Disabled People’s Protection Policies, required as a condition of a train operator’s licence, require train companies to demonstrate that the varied needs of different disabled passengers are taken into account when considering how information is communicated. All information about train services on display at stations must be made available through appropriate telephone help lines and staffed information points.

Community Transport

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to help ensure the financial viability of local community transport providers.

Jesse Norman: During the 2017 to 2018 financial year, the Department provided almost £3.1m of financial support to community transport operators through the Bus Service Operator’s Grant (BSOG). The Department is also making available £250,000 to support community transport organisations.

London North Eastern Railway

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the cost of redesigning and replacing rolling stock livery with LNER branding.

Joseph Johnson: The cost of rebranding the exterior and interior of London North Eastern Railway’s current fleet is estimated to be £447,773.00. This equates to £9077.00 per train. The rebranding has begun and will be completed as soon as practicable alongside the regular maintenance schedule for the fleet. The Virgin brand was used under licence by the previous train operating company on the East Coast. It was therefore necessary to design and develop a new brand which the Department has the right to use, and without an ongoing cost.

Heathrow Airport: Construction

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the proposed plans to construct a third runway at Heathrow Airport benefits North East England.

Jesse Norman: Expansion at Heathrow will benefit the North East, both specifically through the commitment to reserve about 15 per cent of new slots being used for domestic routes, and more generally through the new economic growth and thousands of new jobs that Heathrow has estimated will be created across the country. Following designation of the Airports National Policy Statement on 26 June, the Department for Transport published the Relationship Framework Document which sets out how the Department and Heathrow Airport Limited will work together in future, collaboratively and constructively to deliver the strategic objectives and benefits of expansion. The Relationship Framework Document can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heathrow-airport-expansion-relationship-framework-document

Traffic Commissioners: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reasons are for the time taken to establish the traffic office in Wales intended to support the Traffic Commissioner for Wales.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the proposed traffic office in Wales to support the Traffic Commissioner for Walesn is planned to provide the same level of service and resources to Wales as the equivalent office in Edinburgh does for Scotland.

Jesse Norman: Work to establish the traffic office in Wales is under way. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency IS in the process of sourcing suitable accommodation and initiating the necessary procurement processes and recruitment of suitable Welsh-speaking staff. The Department is committed to working with the Welsh Government in both areas.It would not be appropriate to provide exactly the same resourcing to the traffic office for Wales as is provided for Scotland. The Traffic Commissioner for Scotland has significant additional responsibilities under the terms of the devolution arrangements. For example, she is responsible for appointments to the Parking and Bus Lane Tribunal for Scotland. Staffing levels in all traffic commissioner areas are kept under regular review to reflect work flows.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is on promoting premium (a) diesel and (b) petrol to motorists as a result of the lower levels of harmful emissions from those fuels; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Government welcomes any improvements in fuels that reduce the environmental impact of transport. It is not the role of Government to promote premium fuels; it is for the manufacturers and retailers to supply evidence of benefits from fuels they define as “premium” to their customers and promote them accordingly.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons his Department allowed Govia Thameslink to pay £5 million to settle its obligations for two years up to September 2018; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of that decision on incentivising that train operator to improve its performance since that decision was made.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Railways: Nationalisation

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has taken preparatory steps to bring train services operated by (a) Govia Thameslink Railway and (b) Northern Rail back into public ownership.

Joseph Johnson: On Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the Department is currently reviewing whether GTR met their contractual obligations in the planning and delivery of this timetable change. Should this review find that GTR have been negligent in their implementation of the timetable, all available options will be considered. On Northern Rail, performance has improved and cancellations have reduced in the weeks following the timetable change. Northern’s compliance with its contract continues to be monitored but no preparatory steps have been taken to bring it into public ownership.

Exhaust Emissions: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce transport emissions in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands.

Jesse Norman: I refer the Honorable Member to the answer given my Hon Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (David Rutley) on 7th June, UIN 149591.

Railways: Greater Manchester

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of an underground Northern Powerhouse Rail station at Manchester Piccadilly.

Joseph Johnson: The Department is working with Transport for the North, Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester to explore ways to integrate Northern Powerhouse Rail into an HS2 station at Manchester Piccadilly. The aim is to develop a station which can accommodate future Northern Powerhouse Rail services, and which also provides value for money to the taxpayer. Any solution should improve journey time and service frequency between key cities in the North of England including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull and Newcastle. Work to date has considered options for both an underground station and one at the surface. An update will be provided in Transport for the North’s business case for Northern Powerhouse Rail, which is due to be submitted to the Department by the end of 2018.

Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern Rail Franchise

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2018 to Question 137644, on Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern Rail Franchise, what the planned publication date is for the second remedial plan.

Joseph Johnson: The Department’s current priority is restoring a reliable service on Govia Thameslink Railway services. The second remedial plan will be published in due course.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Chilterns

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the tunnelling of High Speed Two under the Chilterns is planned to involve Bentonite under pressure.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The operation of the Chiltern tunnel Tunnel Boring Machine will not use bentonite. As HS2 Ltd have always made clear, they will not begin works in the area until the Environment Agency is satisfied with their final approach. However, it is currently proposed that Bentonite will be used in the construction of the diaphragm walls for the 5 intermediate shafts. Prior to the use of bentonite in these locations the construction methodology dictates that the ground surrounding the diaphragm walls will be grouted, therefore sealing and protecting the ground water from the bentonite.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what break clauses have been written into the contracts for High Speed Two contractors working on Phase One; and in what circumstances those clauses can be triggered.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: There are break clauses in the contracts between HS2 and its suppliers. The precise wording is dependent upon a number of factors and is negotiated with individual suppliers on a case-by-case basis, taking account of all of the surrounding circumstances.

High Speed Two: Public Appointments

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the appointment of the HS2 Construction Commissioner has been confirmed.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Following an open and fair competition, it is expected that a permanent Independent Construction Commissioner will be announced shortly once the relevant processes and clearances have been undertaken.

Airports: National Policy Statements

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the remits of the (a) Airport Expansion & Aviation and Maritime Analysis Directorate and (b) Aviation Directorate are in relation to the Airports National Policy Statement.

Jesse Norman: The Airport Expansion & Aviation and Maritime Analysis Directorate is responsible for the policies set out in the Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) which was designated on 26 June 2018. The Directorate will lead further work with Heathrow Airport Limited on their plans to deliver the Northwest Runway at Heathrow in accordance with the NPS. However, It will not be involved in decisions on any future applications for development consent, which will be handled by a separate team elsewhere in the Department to ensure propriety. The Directorate also includes an expert multi-disciplinary analytical division which undertakes modelling and economic and statistical analysis for the Department on aviation and maritime issues. The Aviation Directorate has responsibility for aviation policy more generally, including (for example) airspace modernisation and the proposed Aviation Strategy. Both directorates have regard to where the work of one may affects the other.

Aviation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates the Airport Capacity Programme Board met since June 2017; and if he will list the job titles of its members.

Jesse Norman: Twelve Airport Capacity Programme Boards have been held since June 2017. The membership occasionally changes. However, for the board to be quorate the following members are required to attend: two Airport Capacity Senior Civil Servants, a representative from the Aviation Directorate, a senior legal representative, a Board member who is external to the Airport Capacity Directorate (to ensure appropriate independent challenge is maintained) and road and rail representatives, for items on surface access and the M25.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Copyright: EU Law

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's policy is on the European Council's modernisation of European copyright rules.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Government supports the modernisation of European copyright rules, and wants to achieve reforms that benefit both the creative and digital economies, and promote creativity, innovation and investment. In negotiations within the Council of the European Union, the Government has sought a Copyright Directive which is balanced and proportionate, providing clarity of rules for rights holders, business and consumers alike. The Government considers that the Council’s legal text meets these objectives and looks forward to future negotiations with the European Parliament.

Small Businesses: Gillingham and Rainham

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses in Gillingham and Rainham constituency.

Andrew Griffiths: Our Industrial Strategy aims to make Britain the best place to start and grow a business. Programmes operated by the Government-owned British Business Bank are currently supporting over £4.6bn of finance to over 70,000 SMEs. GOV.UK, the Business Support Helpline and Growth Hubs provide access to advice and support who want to start their own business. The Kent and Medway Growth Hub has helped almost 5,000 small and medium-sized businesses. And since 2010, the number of small and medium-sized businesses in Kent and Medway has grown by over 11,000. We are also investing £31 billion in the National Productivity Investment Fund until 2023 to improve physical and digital infrastructure, which will directly benefit small businesses. As part of our approach to improving the business environment, which was set out within the Industrial Strategy White Paper, we are currently consulting on the actions that could be most effective in improving the productivity and growth of small and medium-sized businesses. We are also spending up to £26.6 million on Business Basics and the industry-led Be the Business initiative and programme, to help SMEs take practical steps to improve their productivity by adopting best-practice management techniques and modern technologies.

Nuclear Power: Risk Management

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the news article on red warnings for UK’s post-Brexit nuclear safeguards published by Sky News on 16 May, what the basis is for the five areas of nuclear safeguard being categorised by the Office for Nuclear Regulation as high level risk on departure from the EU; what steps he is taking to reduce the risk in those areas; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: Significant progress has been made in our preparations to leave Euratom, including ensuring domestic nuclear safeguards can be in place from day one of exit. The Government continues to work closely with the Office for Nuclear Regulation as we put in place the measures needed to ensure continuity for the nuclear sector. This includes identifying high level risks for discussion and/or escalation within programme management governance processes. The basis for particular risk ratings and descriptions is constantly evolving as part of project delivery.

Nuclear Power: Expenditure

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the Government spent from the public purse on (a) subsidies, (b) investment and (c) research and development in the nuclear energy sector in each of the last 10 financial years and to date in this financial year.

Richard Harrington: The nuclear energy sector comprises many integral parts including generation, fuel fabrication, waste treatment and disposal, decommissioning and research and development, which are variously publicly or privately owned. The data requested cannot be readily and comprehensively compiled across these areas, however, relevant data on any government spend in these areas can be found in the Department’s annual reports, as well as those from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and other public bodies. The UK nuclear generating fleet is privately owned by EDF and receives no public subsidy. The Contract for Difference in place for Hinkley Point C means that consumers will only pay once the plant is generating electricity.

Forests: EU Action

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to Multi-functionality and sustainability in the European Union’s forests published by the European Academies Science Advisory Council in April 2017, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that report; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department has noted the EASAC report published in April 2017 and their Commentary on Biomass and Carbon Neutrality of June 2018, which recognises that the carbon abatement offered by biomass depends on the circumstances of management of the forest and can be beneficial, neutral or negative. Sustainable, low carbon bioenergy can help us to move to a low-carbon energy mix, increase our energy security and keep costs down for consumers. The Government has introduced mandatory sustainability criteria for biomass for heat and power generation, to ensure biomass reduces carbon emissions and is sourced sustainably. We recently consulted on further tightening the sustainability requirements for renewable electricity in the Contracts for Difference scheme. The UK has worked with other member states to include the impacts of bioenergy on forest greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union’s climate change targets in the Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation and supported the inclusion of sustainability and greenhouse gas mitigation requirements in the revised Renewable Energy Directive. Analysis by the ETI and in the Clean Growth Strategy of cost effective pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions suggest that bioenergy has a significant role in delivering our climate mitigation objectives.

Nuclear Power: Job Creation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will set regional targets for job creation as part of the 100,000 new jobs planned in the Nuclear Sector Deal.

Richard Harrington: The Nuclear Sector Deal launched on 28 June makes clear the value of nuclear in providing employment to people across England, Scotland and Wales. The deal includes a number of actions that will seek to increase the current workforce to fulfil the estimated 100,000 jobs opportunities the sector has forecasted it will need by 2021. This forecast is based on the latest Nuclear Workforce Assessment commissioned by the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group and published last year, which sets out the inflow rate and types of skills required to inform employers in their recruitment practices. Implementation of the deal is being discussed through the Nuclear Industry Council and will consider the potential for targets for job opportunities, based on employers’ estimates for their projects.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Duke of Cambridge: Royal Visits

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department provided any input and approval to the schedule of HRH Prince William's visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and what the Government's policy is on referring to East Jerusalem as Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Alistair Burt: ​All meetings and visits in the programme of HRH The Duke of Cambridge were at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and in line with the Government’s positions in support of a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since 1967, the UK has regarded Israel as in occupation of East Jerusalem. We believe that the status of Jerusalem should be determined as part of a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians. It must ensure Jerusalem is a shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states, with access and religious rights of both peoples respected.

Iran: Christianity

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support and assistance his Department is providing to imprisoned Christians in Iran currently appealing convictions.

Alistair Burt: We regularly raise human rights with the Iranian Government, including the treatment of Christians in that country, and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor record on all human rights issues.

Iran: Religious Freedom

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for UK sanctions on Iran of the level of harassment and intimidation of religious and ethnic minorities in that country in the last six months.

Alistair Burt: The treatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Iran is concerning. As part of the EU, we have sanctioned over 80 Iranian individuals and entities responsible for human rights violations, and the UK has played a key role in identifying and maintaining the designations.Alongside our EU partners we continue regularly monitor and review these designations.

Iran: Sanctions

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, to what extent ongoing UK diplomatic sanctions on Iran are intended to target the judicial system in that country on account of its harassment and persecution of (a) Christians and (b) other religious minorities.

Alistair Burt: We are concerned about the treatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Iran. As part of the EU, we have sanctioned over 80 Iranian individuals and entities responsible for human rights violations, and the UK has played a key role in identifying and maintaining the designations. Several of these sanctions target members of the Iranian judicial and penal system.

Libya: Internally Displaced People

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had his counterpart in the Libyan Government on tackling human traffickers who set up illegal camps for displaced persons.

Alistair Burt: Our Ambassador to Libya regularly raises humanitarian issues at the highest levels of the Libyan government. I travelled to Tripoli in April and highlighted our concern with Prime Minister Serraj and the Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs. Since October 2015, the Department for International Development has allocated over £175 million of humanitarian assistance to support those affected by the Mediterranean migration crisis, including in Libya.

Yemen: War Crimes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the United Nations Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen in relation to the investigation of war crimes in that country.

Alistair Burt: We continue to be concerned by the situation in Yemen and take allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights law and international humanitarian law seriously. Yemen remains a human rights priority country for the UK. We strongly supported the Human Rights Council resolution in September 2017, which urged all parties to the conflict to take the measures necessary to ensure effective, impartial and independent investigations into all allegations. The resolution mandated that a group of eminent international and regional experts conduct an independent investigation into the human rights situation in Yemen. This aims to establish the circumstances surrounding the allegations, provide guidance on access to justice and accountability, and engage with stakeholders to exchange information and support efforts to promote accountability. Agreeing an impactful resolution, adopted by consensus, on the human rights situation in Yemen was an important achievement. HM Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and Other International Organisations in Geneva met the group of eminent experts in January to discuss their mission. We look forward to the group's report, due in September 2018.

Yemen: Human Rights

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with what frequency his Department makes representations to  the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on potential breaches of human rights in the conflict in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: ​The UK is concerned by the human rights situation in Yemen and takes allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights law seriously. That is why we strongly supported the UN Human Rights Council resolution on the human rights situation in Yemen in September 2017. Adopted by consensus, it mandated a group of eminent international and regional experts to conduct an independent investigation into the human rights situation in Yemen. Yemen remains a human rights priority country for the UK, and we continue to raise our concerns with relevant parties to the conflict, human rights groups, the EU and the UN. HM Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and Other International Organisations in Geneva met the group of eminent experts in January to discuss their mission.

Yemen: Land Mines

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of landmines being used in the conflict in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: ​The UK does not have access to sufficient information to allow accurate assessments of the number of landmines used in the conflict in Yemen.

Antarctic: Marine Protected Areas

Laura Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterparts on the Antarctic Commission on the establishment of a marine protected area in the Weddell Sea.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Weddell Sea Marine Protected Area proposal is currently being finalised by those European Union Member States who are also Members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and international consultations are underway at official and technical levels. The final proposal will be submitted to CCAMLR in September, when the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will seek support from his counterparts in other CCAMLR States, in support of other anticipated high level lobbying by the EU and other Member States.

Africa: Visas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on ensuring that refusals and delays to visas for people from African countries do not impede business, cultural academic and political relations between the UK and African countries.

Harriett Baldwin: The policy on the issuing and refusal of visas is a Home Office responsibility. However, we maintain regular contact at official and Ministerial level between our Departments to discuss issues that could impede business, cultural, academic and political relations between the UK and Africa. We will continue to work closely to resolve any concerns.

Overseas Aid

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has taken steps to determine the reasons for his Department being ranked 40 of the 45 major aid donors in the Aid Transparency Index, published on 20 June 2018 by Publish What You Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018



As a major donor, the FCO has been included in the Aid Transparency Index since 2013. We were disappointed to receive a poor rating this year and are undertaking a review of FCO performance. In discussion with Publish What you Fund, and other Whitehall Departments, we have identified a number of areas for improvement including around the timeliness of publications and our programme documentation.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Diplomatic Service

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2018 to Question 153716, how many of those British nationals who received consular assistance from HM Government due to arrest and/or detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2010 have been returned to the UK.

Harriett Baldwin: ​We offer consular assistance to British nationals when arrested and/or detained overseas and this ceases when the individual has been released or no longer needs our assistance.We do not keep records of where a British national travels onto once they are released or consular assistance is no longer needed.

Afghanistan: Visits Abroad

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost to the public purse was of his recent trip to Afghanistan; and how much CO2 was generated by undertaking that trip.

Mark Field: ​The cost of the Foreign Secretary's travel will be disclosed in the usual way and published as part of transparency data in accordance with Cabinet Office requirements. The FCO offsets CO2 emissions from all international flights booked through our official provider, Clarity.

Sri Lanka: Muslims

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Sri Lankan Government on violence and intimidation perpetrated against Muslims in Digana and Teldeniya.

Mark Field: ​I was concerned by the violent incidents against Sri Lanka's Muslim minority in Digana and Teldeniya, and in Ampara earlier this year. I wrote to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana in the aftermath of the incidents around Kandy to raise our concerns. The UK also made a statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2018, calling on the Government of Sri Lanka to hold the perpetrators to account.

Azerbaijan: Human Rights

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Azerbaijani Government on human rights abuses in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Government raises human rights issues with Azerbaijan both bilaterally and multilaterally through the EU, OSCE (Organisation for Security Co-Operation in Europe) and the Council of Europe. The UK’s strong relationship with Azerbaijan facilitates this engagement and enables us to maintain a regular dialogue on human rights and other issues at the most senior levels. The Prime Minister recently raised human rights with President Aliyev in London on 26 April.

Thailand: Refugees

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Thai counterpart on opportunities for Karen refugees in different parts of that country to meet each other .

Mark Field: ​We have not to date made representations to the Thai government about opportunities for Karen refugees in different parts of the country to meet each other. However, the Foreign Secretary discussed the urgent need to improve regional conditions for refugees from Burma with the Thai Foreign Minister on 20 June. Our Embassy in Bangkok is in contact with the UNHCR and receives updates from them on a number issues related to the treatment of refugees in Thailand. DFID provide support to at least 90,000 displaced as refugees in Thailand.

Thailand: Refugees

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Thai Government on the treatment of Karen refugees in that country.

Mark Field: ​The UK is deeply concerned by recent reports of renewed fighting in the Kachin, Shan and Karen regions of Burma, and the resulting displacement of thousands of civilians. Our Embassy in Bangkok is following developments along the border between Thailand and Burma. The Foreign Secretary discussed the urgent need to improve regional conditions for refugees from Burma with the Thai Foreign Minister on 20 June.Refugees have been crossing from Burma into Thailand for nearly 30 years, and there are established camps and international support for them in Thailand. DFID provide support to at least 90,000 displaced as refugees in Thailand.

Burma: Ethnic Groups

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Myanmar on the militarisation of the Karen State and the treatment of the Karen people.

Mark Field: The UK has raised concerns about the treatment of minorities in Burma regularly at the Human Rights Council. Most recently, during the Interactive Dialogue on Burma at the Human Rights Council on 27 June 2018 where the Permanent Secretary of the Burmese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was present, the UK statement drew attention to the escalation of violence in Kachin, Shan, Karen/Kayin and other conflict affected States.In a statement published on gov.uk on 11 May, I restated the UK's commitment to supporting the triple transition in Burma: from military rule to democratic civilian government, from conflict to peace, and from a closed economy to an open one.​

Rendition and Torture

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will commission an independent public inquiry into UK complicity in torture and rendition between 2003 and 2010.

Sir Alan Duncan: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 2 July 2018, Official Report, House of Commons, volume 644, column 25.

Antarctic: Marine Protected Areas

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary for tackling climate change.

Sir Alan Duncan: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018



The UK is a co-proponent for a proposal to designate a large-scale Marine Protected Area in the Weddell Sea, which will be submitted for consideration at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in October. While the Marine Protected Area will not tackle climate change, one of the objectives for the Weddell Sea Marine Protected Area proposal is to establish scientific reference areas to monitor the effects of climate change, fishing and other human activities and to study, in particular, representative, rare, unique and/or endemic examples of marine ecosystems, as well as biodiversity and habitats. The Foreign Secretary will engage with key CCAMLR members to seek their support for this proposal.

Antarctic: Marine Protected Areas

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will advocate the creation of the Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary at an international level.

Sir Alan Duncan: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018



The UK is already a leading advocate for the development and establishment of a network of Marine Protected Areas across the Southern Ocean. The UK secured agreement for the first Southern Ocean Marine Protected Area (MPA) on the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf, which was designated by the international Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in 2009. We also strongly supported the Ross Sea region MPA, which was agreed in 2016. The UK is a co-proponent for MPA proposals in the Weddell Sea and in East Antarctica, both of which will be presented to the next CCAMLR meeting in October for adoption. Prior to this meeting, the Foreign Secretary will engage with key CCAMLR Members to seek their support. The UK is also playing a leading role in developing an MPA proposal for the Antarctic Peninsula.

World War II: Compensation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2018 to Question 158199, on World War II: compensation, what estimate his Department made of the cost of answering that Question; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​It is not possible to estimate accurately the cost of answering this question due to the extensive searches that would be required to find the relevant information but I am confident that it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

World War II: Compensation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2018 to Question 158199, on World War II: compensation, if he will set aside the advisory cost limit on answers to parliamentary questions and reply substantively to that Question.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​No.

Mexico: Christianity

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his counterpart in the Mexican Government on the protection of Mexican Christians from drug cartels and violence.

Sir Alan Duncan: Organised crime affects vulnerable communities in Mexico, including indigenous populations and minority religious groups. Our work on this agenda in Mexico focuses on the underlying causes. To tackle impunity and corruption, we support the consolidation of Mexico's new justice and anti-corruption systems, as well as helping Mexico to develop a community policing model. Officials in the Embassy in Mexico City have regular contact with Civil Society Groups to help inform our understanding of the situation on the ground. Over the past four years, UK Ministers and officials at our Embassy in Mexico City have raised our human rights concerns with the Mexican Government.

British Council

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the British Council can continue to operate at its current capacity in the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Mark Field: ​The Government is committed to continuing to support the excellent work of the British Council. The FCO has increased the British Council's overall grant over the current Spending Review period. Whilst specific grant funding for its work in the developed world has decreased, it has recently been agreed to provide some additional funding in this period to specifically support the British Council's work in Europe and in the developed world up to 2020. Decisions beyond this date will be taken in the next Spending Review.The British Council's activity and presence in Europe is primarily a matter for its management team and its Trustees. The British Council would have to seek the agreement of the Foreign Secretary before any closures of offices. Before any decisions are made, the British Council would also undertake an extensive consultation process with partners, stakeholders and the Devolved Administrations.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Afghan counterpart on (a) the assassination of MP Elect Awtar Singh Khalsa and others on 1 July 2018 and (b) the safety of political candidates from minority communities in Afghanistan.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Afghan counterpart on the suicide bombing which killed 19 predominantly Sikh and Hindu people in that country.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Afghan counterpart on (a) relations between majority and minority communities and (b) the safety of Sikhs and Hindus in that country.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Afghan counterpart on ensuring the safety of Sikhs in that country.

Mark Field: The British Government condemned the 1 July attack on a group of Sikhs and Hindus in Jalalabad. On Twitter I described it as "a despicable attack on Afghanistan's historic Sikh and Hindu community". As part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission, the UK supports the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in its efforts to improve security for all communities in Afghanistan. NATO's Resolute Support Mission is also assisting the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces with security planning for the upcoming elections.The British Government regularly raises human rights issues with the Government of Afghanistan, including the need to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups in line with the constitution.

Attorney General

Legal Profession: Voluntary Work

Jim Shannon: To ask the Attorney General, how he plans to encourage practising lawyers to volunteer pro bono hours for Citizens Advice Bureaux in their local communities.

Robert Buckland: The Attorney General's Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Crown Prosecution Service

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Crown Prosecution Service in charging suspects with the appropriate offence.

Jeremy Wright: The Attorney General's Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Crown Prosecution Service

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney General, if he will commission research into the extent to which charging decisions made by the Crown Prosecution Service differ from the expectation of (a) Police and (b) victims of crime.

Jeremy Wright: The Attorney General's Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Crown Prosecution Service

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of the number of occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has charged suspects with offences that are deemed less serious than the offences which the police investigated in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Wright: The Attorney General's Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Finance

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits to public health of increasing the funding of the NHS above four per cent per annum in real terms.

Stephen Barclay: The Government is committed to supporting the National Health Service. As part of the new long-term plan for the NHS, the Government has announced plans for a five-year budget settlement. By 2023/24, the NHS will receive increased funding of £20.5 billion in real terms per year compared to today – an average increase of 3.4% per year overall. In relation to public health, the Government recognises the role these services play in managing demand for health services and improving people’s wellbeing, including through action taken by local authorities. Decisions on investment in public health functions from this settlement are subject to the development of the long-term NHS plan, which will be brought forward through close working between the NHS and Government, in consultation with patients and the public. The Department has not made an assessment of the potential benefits to the health of the public of increasing the funding of the NHS above 4% per year in real terms.

NHS: ICT

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle computer flaws that have led to delays in the NHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital maintain the national infrastructure critical to the day-to-day operation of the National Health Service. This includes the NHS Spine, which provides the technical backbone on which many services depend. NHS Digital undertake reviews where high severity incidents occur for national systems they run. Locally individual NHS organisations are responsible for the management and governance of the IT systems they use.

Mental Health: Nurses

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent registered mental health nurses were employed by the NHS in each year since 2009.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics. The following table shows the full time equivalent (FTE) figures for mental health nurses working in National Health Service trusts and clinical commissioning groups in September each year since 2009 and latest data available.  200920102011201220132014201520162017March 2018Mental Health Nurses, FTE (Total) of which:46,15545,38443,69142,44641,43240,35739,24738,93038,69539,358Nurses – learning disabilities/  difficulties5,5535,1374,6674,3114,0353,7763,5773,4423,3053,305Nurses – psychiatry40,60240,24739,02438,13537,39736,58135,67135,48835,39036,053Source: NHS Digital Monthly Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics

Psychiatry: Consultants

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the number of consultant psychiatrists has been per head of population in England in each year since 2009.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics. The following table shows the number of HCHS psychiatry consultants per 100,000 of the population, as at September of each year and latest data available, headcount.  200920102011201220132014201520162017March 2018Psychiatry Consultants4,3544,4944,5614,5904,6404,6694,7154,6894,7484,820per 100,000 of population8.38.58.68.68.68.68.68.58.58.7Source: NHS Digital, HCHS workforce statistics; Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates. Consultant to population ratios are derived from population estimates made by the ONS.

Donors: Ethnic Groups

Eleanor Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether increasing the number of BAME (a) blood, (b) stem cell and (c) organ donations to the NHS would result in savings to the public purse; and if he will make a statement.

Eleanor Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential savings accrued to the public purse of reducing the number of people on dialysis by providing kidney transplants to those patients at the soonest available opportunity.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has not assessed the cost effectiveness of increasing the number of donations from black, Asian and minority ethnic people of blood, stem cells and organs. Information on the potential savings of reducing the number of people on dialysis is not available in the format requested. An impact assessment prepared to support the consultation on proposed changes to consent for organ and tissue donation, which ran between December 2017 and March 2018, includes cost and benefit analysis information in respect of all organs, including kidney transplants. The impact assessment was limited to the cost/benefit analysis of changes to consent arrangements in England, and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/666518/Organ_Donation_Opt-Out_Consultation_Impact_Assessment.pdf

Strokes: Health Services

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department is making on the development of the new national stroke plan for England.

Steve Brine: A Stroke Programme Board was established in March 2018, overseeing the development of a stroke plan to address the challenges of prevention, service reconfiguration, optimising rehabilitation services, workforce development and transformative data. Subsequently the Board will lead the programme to optimise these areas of work. The Board is co-chaired by the National Medical Director, Professor Steve Powis and Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive Officer of the Stroke Association. The stroke programme will include a strong focus on rehabilitation with a number of specific initiatives including improving accessible data to inform change, workforce optimisation, reduction in variation of key services such as early supported discharge and improved signposting for continued provision at six months after stroke and beyond.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of multiple births in England in 2017 were a result of IVF treatment which took place outside the UK.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the cost to the NHS of (a) multiple births resulting from IVF treatment outside the UK for mothers who were refused such treatment in the UK and (b) other multiple births resulting from IVF treatment outside the UK in the last period for which figures are available.

Jackie Doyle-Price: This information is not collected centrally. The Department has been made aware anecdotally of an increasing number of couples going outside of the regulated sector in the United Kingdom to have fertility treatment, which results in multiple pregnancies. The expectant mothers are returning to the UK to receive their maternity care within the National Health Service. Multiple births involve higher risks for mothers and babies. Prematurity and low birth weight are the main reason for increased mortality and disability for these children. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has worked in partnership with professional stakeholders and UK clinics over the last 10 years to significantly reduce multiple births in UK fertility treatment through a policy of single embryo transfer.

Drugs: Licensing

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will close the legal loopholes to make the market for unlicensed medicinal products less restricted.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Government body responsible for the safety and licensing of medicines in the United Kingdom, is not aware of any legal loopholes for the supply of human unlicensed medicinal products. Before a human medicine can be marketed or sold in the UK, a number of licences are required. The product itself must have a licence called a ‘marketing authorisation’ unless an exemption applies. UK medicines legislation contains a provision for the supply of an unlicensed medicine (commonly known as ‘specials’) which is provided for by way of an exemption from the requirement for a marketing authorisation. In the interests of public health this exemption is narrowly drawn because these products, unlike products holding a marketing authorisation, will not have been assessed and approved against the criteria of safety, quality and efficacy in the UK. Unlicensed medicines can be manufactured in the UK under European Union good manufacturing practice or imported into the UK by the holder of an appropriate licence issued by the MHRA. Notifications prior to importation of unlicensed medicines are required and are assessed by the MHRA and objections may be raised where there are prohibitive safety or quality concerns. Any person that sells or supplies an unlicensed medicine is required to keep records and report suspected adverse drug reactions.

Medical Examiners

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of 16 June 2018, Official Report, column 178, what progress his Department has made on appointing independent medical examiners.

Caroline Dinenage: On 11 June, the Government published its response to consultation on the introduction of medical examiners and reforms to death certification in England and Wales. This set out plans to introduce a system of medical examiners from April 2019. Medical examiners will scrutinise all non-coronial deaths, improve the quality and accuracy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, improve national data on avoidable mortality and contribute to improved patient safety. Medical examiners will provide a service to the bereaved, increasing transparency and offering them the opportunity to raise concerns. They will provide a new level of scrutiny to help deter criminal activity and poor practice. On 18 June, the Government commenced section 21 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, to allow for the appointment of a National Medical Examiner to prepare guidance that will support the introduction of medical examiners. The Government is working with a range of stakeholders, including in the National Health Service, to establish delivery arrangements.

Internet: Harassment

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on (a) tackling online trolling and (b) the effect of online trolling on people’s psychological wellbeing.

Jackie Doyle-Price: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care had a meeting with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Matt Hancock) on 20 February 2018 which included discussion on the impact of social media on children and young people’s mental health. During the meeting they discussed how to make progress in this area, specifically around harmful content as well as age verification and long periods of time online. There was an acknowledgement of the need for more evidence in the area and also a recognition that social media has clear potential benefits as well as potential harms.

Internet: Harassment

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) internet trolling and (b) online abuse on people’s psychological wellbeing; and what steps his Department is taking to signpost the support that is available to victims of that abuse.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We are aware of the serious impacts that online abuse can have on users, which is why Government is taking forward the Internet Safety Strategy work, and bringing forward an Online Harms White Paper by the end of 2018. In order to improve the support available to those who receive abuse online, we are working with the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport to support the Online Harms White Paper. This includes potential legislative action around improved transparency reporting – which includes companies reporting exact figures of how many users who report abuse are signposted on to help – and a code of practice for social media companies. There is also work taking place across Government and with industry through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). UKCCIS is made up of more than 200 organisations drawn from across Government, industry, law, academia and charity sectors that work in partnership to help keep users safe online. To transform mental health services for children and young people’s we are making £1.4 billion available. We are also improving our offer of mental health support for all children and young people through the Green Paper, which is supported by a further £300 million.

Internet: Harassment

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on legislation in relation to internet trolling.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not had specific discussions with the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (David Gauke) on legislation in relation to internet trolling.

Internet: Harassment

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on  educating children and young people on online trolling; and what support is available to victims of such abuse in relation to (i) psychological wellbeing and (ii) building resilience.

Jackie Doyle-Price: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not had specific discussions with the Secretary of State for Education (Damian Hinds) around educating children and young people on online trolling. However, the Department for Education is working closely with the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that teaching children about online safety is considered as part of the work to introduce compulsory Relationships Education in primary schools, Relationships and Sex Education in secondary schools and to consider making Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education compulsory in all schools. In order to improve the support available to those who receive abuse online, we are working with the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport to support the Online Harms White Paper. This includes potential legislative action around improved transparency reporting – which includes companies reporting exact figures of how many users who report abuse are signposted on to help – and a code of practice for social media companies. To transform mental health services for children and young people’s we are making £1.4 billion available. We are also improving our offer of mental health support for all children and young people through the Green Paper, which is supported by a further £300 million.

Endometriosis

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have been diagnosed with endometriosis in each of the last eight years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: No data is held centrally on the number of women diagnosed with endometriosis.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on the number of patients diagnosed with (a) antimicrobial- and (b) antibiotic-resistant diseases in England in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: Public Health England does not hold umbrella data on all antimicrobial and antibiotic-resistant diseases in England as there are over 100 antimicrobial drugs in use and a large number of bacteria, fungi and viruses that could show resistance to one or more of them. Data on specific bug/drug combinations are available in the attached table: Number of cases of antimicrobial/antibiotic resistant infections identified in specific drug combinations.



PQ160097 attached table
(PDF Document, 165.32 KB)

Tuberculosis

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of people with a diagnosis of (a) TB and (b) drug-resistant TB in (i) Wirral, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the North West and (iv) England.

Steve Brine: Data for the number of people with tuberculosis (TB) and drug resistant TB is displayed in the following table:AreaTB notifications Average annual incidence 2014-16 Drug resistance / multi-drug resistant or rifampicin resistant TB 2012-16  Number of casesNumber of casesWirral10*Merseyside60*North West60330England5,954333Source: Tuberculosis in England 2017 report Note:*Figures are not published at this boundary level

NHS: Drugs

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of any potential risks to the supply of medicines to patients in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.

Steve Brine: Patient safety is paramount in our exit negotiations and maintaining continuity of supply of all medicines and medical isotopes is a key part of ensuring patients continue to receive the safe, high-quality care they need from day one of European Union exit and thereafter. Extensive work has been undertaken to understand the implications of our exit on the National Health Service, considering a range of negotiation outcomes, including exit without a withdrawal agreement. This has included a particular focus on continued access to medicines.

Nurses: Recruitment

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, hat progress has been made on the NHS Nurse recruitment drive; what assessment he has made of the implications of (a) the UK leaving the EU and (b) immigration policy on that recruitment drive; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay: The National Health Service has introduced a range of measures to support increased recruitment and retention across the health and care system, including a 25% increase in training places for nurses. NHS England, with the support of Department and Health Education England, has recently launched a major advertising campaign, aimed at encouraging recruitment to the NHS, retaining the existing workforce, and promoting the possibility of a return to the workforce for those who have previously worked in the NHS. The campaign has a strong focus on nursing, and builds upon Health Education England’s #KnowAboutNursing campaign, which has been running since May of this year. The Department continues to monitor and analyse overall staffing levels across the NHS and adult social care, and is working across Government to ensure there will continue to be sufficient staff to deliver the high quality services on which patients rely following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. The latest nationality statistics show at March 2018 4,558 more EU nationals excluding the UK (EU27) employed in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups than in June 2016. The agreement between the UK and EU Commission on 8 December will guarantee the rights of the 158,000 EU nationals working in our health and care system. It means that EU citizens living lawfully in the UK and UK nationals living lawfully in the EU by 29 March 2019 will be able to stay and enjoy broadly the same rights and benefits as they do now. On the impact of immigration policy on nurse recruitment, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sajid Javid) recently removed both doctors and nurses from the ambit of the Tier 2 visa cap. This means the NHS and others are able to recruit as many overseas nurses as they need.

Public Health England

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department is planning to allocate to Public Health England as part of the 5-year NHS funding plan.

Steve Brine: The five-year funding plan for the National Health Service, recently announced by the Prime Minister, covers planned resource budgets for NHS England. It does not cover Public Health England’s budgets over the five-year period. Public Health England’s operating expenditure budget for 2019/20 and 2020/21 is forecast to be £287 million. Public Health England’s budget beyond these years will be agreed as part of the Spending Review settlement.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) preventative care, (b) outreach on and (c) awareness of sexual health for high risk populations.

Steve Brine: Public Health England’s (PHE’s) ‘Health promotion for sexual and reproductive health and HIV: strategic action plan, 2016 to 2019’ states the need to develop interventions targeting specific communities particularly affected by poor sexual and reproductive health. Further information is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488090/SRHandHIVStrategicPlan_211215.pdf PHE implements the strategy and supports preventative care, outreach, and awareness of sexual health by commissioning the following programmes: the national sexual health information programme to improve the public and professional understanding of contraception, pregnancy choices, planning a pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and sexual wellbeing; the national HIV prevention programme for men who have sex with men, Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in whom there is a higher or emerging burden of infection; and the HIV Prevention Innovation Fund aiming to reduce the impact of HIV in specific localities and communities by supporting voluntary sector organisations. PHE also supports NHS England on the implementation of a pre-exposure prophylaxis trial for groups at a higher risk for HIV acquisition.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has his Department made on the effect of self-testing sexual health kits on (a) 16-24 year olds and (b) high risk populations receiving holistic support for their sexual health.

Steve Brine: No formal assessment has been made of the impact of self-testing kits on holistic care in England. Public Health England (PHE) and local authorities support the delivery of HIV and chlamydia self-sampling. PHE guidance to local authorities on self-sampling for chlamydia screening services specify the essential components of good quality care and the need to ensure that patients are provided with appropriate support and advice. Further information is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/413834/Internet_based_chlamydia_screening.pdf

General Practitioners: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to (a) reduce the number of locum doctors and (b) recruit additional permanent GPs in Easington constituency.

Steve Brine: Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) advises that its primary care strategy outlines a general practice five point plan. This includes support for general practitioners (GPs) considering retirement to encourage them to stay in general practice longer; giving GPs the flexibility of working across many sites; incentivising GPs to work in this alternative model across several practices as opposed to being a locum; and the GP Career Start initiative aimed at attracting GPs who are looking for the opportunity to take up a post in general practice at an early point in their career and recruiting new GPs from Europe. This strategy is currently being implemented.

General Practitioners

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making General Practitioners NHS employees.

Steve Brine: The recent report ‘Better Health and Care for All’ recommended the establishment of a new ‘right to NHS employment’ for all general practitioners currently working for the National Health Service. The report also recommended allowing all existing holders of the general practice contract to continue under these arrangements if they wish. We will consider this recommendation with others contained in the report. The report can be accessed at the following link: https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/better-health-and-care-for-all

General Practitioners

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce an incentive scheme for newly-qualified doctors to take up practice in deprived communities.

Steve Brine: It is the responsibility of National Health Service trusts to determine their local workforce needs and NHS trusts have worked hard to deliver a new flexible workforce to meet the ebbs and flows of patient demand. NHS Improvement is working with NHS trusts to support and improve how they manage their existing workforce more flexibly. The Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme is a national incentive scheme which funds a £20,000 salary supplement to attract general practitioner (GP) trainees to work in areas of the country where GP training places have been unfilled for a number of years which may include deprived communities. 238 places were filled in 2016 and 2017. 265 places have been made available in 2018.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the adoption support fund can be used for the treatment of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Steve Brine: The Department for Education through the Adoption Support Fund has made funding available to local authorities to support adopted children with a range of specialist assessments and therapy to treat a variety of conditions. This includes Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Lung Diseases: Screening

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of (a) the Manchester Lung Health Check and (b) other lung cancer screening pilots; and what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of (i) lung cancer and (ii) other lung diseases throughout the country.

Steve Brine: The Department considers the Manchester Lung Health Check to have been successful. Two thirds of patients who received a Manchester Lung Health Check and suffered from cancer had the cancer caught at the earliest stage as a result of this check. Diagnosing lung cancer this early increases the chance of survival. Following the success of the Manchester Lung Health Check, NHS England will be running other pilot programmes of low dose CT scanning in clinical commissioning groups with the lowest lung cancer survival rates. Improving early diagnosis of cancer is a priority for this Government. We have committed to delivering the recommendations in the Cancer Strategy for England, including the new 28 day faster diagnosis standard, and NHS England has confirmed £200 million of transformation funding over the next two years, including encouraging local areas to find new and innovative ways to diagnose cancer earlier. Improving care for people with other lung diseases is also crucial. This requires continued action to implement existing plans, including the NHS Outcomes Framework, which details National Health Service priority areas and includes reducing deaths from respiratory disease as a key indicator.

Lung Diseases: Rehabilitation

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he makes of the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation for people with chronic breathing problems; and what steps his Department is taking to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation throughout the country.

Steve Brine: Pulmonary rehabilitation can be an effective treatment for many people with chronic lung disease. NHS England is working with partners to improve the treatment and care for respiratory disease. There have been several recent initiatives to improve care with tools and resources to support local health economies. These include:- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma;- NHS RightCare COPD pathway – which includes pulmonary rehabilitation services; and- COPD Best Practice Tariff. The British Thoracic Society has a digital platform, supported by NHS England – ‘Respiratory Futures’, which enables collaboration in the respiratory community to support high quality respiratory care.

Department for International Development

Pakistan: Textbooks

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps her Department has taken to review and monitor the content of textbooks in states throughout Pakistan for material which is biased and discriminatory towards religious minorities.

Alistair Burt: DFID’s technical assistance teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab regularly report on efforts to reduce the gender gaps and biases with respect to religion, regions, race, and ethnicity in school textbooks. In 2017 DFID carried out an internal review of official provincial government primary textbooks in KP and Punjab and of books used in non-government primary schools supported by DFID in Sindh, which did not find content inciting religious hatred or promoting intolerance. We continue to monitor progress and lobby provincial governments at senior levels to prioritise inclusion and religious tolerance.

Pakistan: Education

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to address biased or hate material in textbooks and curricula as part of her Department's sponsored education support programmes in (a) Punjab, (b) Sindh and (c) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in Pakistan.

Alistair Burt: DFID has supported the provincial governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan to revise specific textbooks including replacing any content that promotes prejudice and discrimination against religious or other minorities. In KP the subjects covered are English, mathematics, general knowledge and science. In Punjab, the focus is on English, Urdu, science and mathematics. DFID technical assistance to both provincial governments is also increasing the capability of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board and the KP Textbook Board to carry out this work. In Sindh, DFID only supports education through non-state sector schools run by BRAC, The Citizen’s Foundation and Family Educational Services Foundation. An internal DFID review of texts books used in these schools in 2017 did not identify concerns.

Department for Education

Universities: Scholarships

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with representatives of universities on ensuring that (a) scholarships are made available and (b) those scholarships are all taken up; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018



Providers of higher education are autonomous institutions, and whether to offer scholarships is a matter for each individual provider to decide. Where providers use scholarships and other forms of financial support to help widen access, we have said in our guidance to the Office for Students (OfS), that we expect such financial support to be backed up by evidence that shows the investment is proportionate to the contribution it is expected to make towards widening access. Any provider wishing to charge higher fees has to have an access and participation plan agreed with the OfS, setting out the measures and expenditure it intends to make to widen the access and success of disadvantaged students in higher education.

Schools: Labour Turnover

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the retention rate was for (a) primary school teachers, (b) secondary school teachers, (c) primary school teaching assistants and (d) secondary school teaching assistants in each of the last three years for which data are available.

Nick Gibb: The retention rate for teachers since first entering the profession is not available broken down by phase of education. The overall rates are published in Table 8 of the publication, ‘School Workforce in England’, November 2017 and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2017. The rate of teachers leaving service each year broken down by phase is available in table 7b of the same publication. The rates for the latest three years are as follows: Percentage of teachers leaving state funded schools in England, Full-time equivalent  201520162017 Nursery/Primary Schools9.49.29.4Secondary Schools10.210.310.4 Source: School Workforce Census Retention rates for teaching assistants are not held centrally.

Physical Education: GCSE

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the range of individual sports included in the GCSE PE activity list.

Nick Gibb: The Government will review the activity list for GCSE and A and AS level physical education in autumn 2018. This will include an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the range of individual sports included in the activity list. The Department will agree this process with the exam boards and Ofqual and announce details closer to the time.

Citizenship: Education

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendations in the House of Lords Citizenship and Civic Engagement Committee’s report entitled The Ties that Bind: Citizenship and Civic Engagement in the 21st Century, published on 18 April 2018.

Nick Gibb: The House of Lords Citizenship and Civic Engagement Committee’s report covered a complex area with inter-linking themes. The policies and activities it examines span the responsibilities of several Government Departments as well as those of local authorities and other organisations.The Government’s response was published on the 28 June and sets out in detail our assessment of the individual recommendations made. A copy can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/citizenship-and-civic-engagement-government-response-to-select-committee-report.

Citizenship: Teachers

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of financial support available to trainee citizenship teachers.

Nick Gibb: The Government offers student finance for all tuition fee funded citizenship teacher training courses, including a tuition fee loan, which means that trainee teachers do not need to pay fees upfront. Citizenship trainee teachers can also apply for a maintenance loan of up to £11,354 to support their living costs. Other student funding is also available depending on individual circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant or Disabled Students’ Allowances. This ensures that trainee citizenship teachers can access student finance to support their training.

Higher Education: Pay

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the level of pay inequality between the highest and lowest paid employees in the higher education sector.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Higher Education Statistics Agency publishes information on staff salaries in the higher education sector. The most recent publication can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/dataand-analysis/publications/staff-2016-17. The government has made no estimate regarding the difference in earnings between the highest and lowest paid employees in the sector.Higher education providers are autonomous and it is for them to set pay levels for their staff. Universities receive significant amounts of public funding, so it is only right that their senior staff pay arrangements command public confidence and deliver value for money for both students and taxpayers.The government consulted on behalf of the Office for Students (OfS) on making arrangements for the publication of data on senior staff remuneration. From 2018 the OfS will require registered providers to disclose the relationship between the remuneration of the head of the provider and that of all other employees, expressed as a pay multiple. It will also require providers to publish the number of their staff paid more than £100,000 per annum, the total remuneration package of the head of the provider, and a justification for this remuneration package.

Higher Education: Pay

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the gender pay gap in the higher education sector.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018






An error has been identified in the written answer given on 06 July 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The Higher Education Statistics Agency publishes information on staff salaries in the higher education sector. The most recent publication can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/publications/staff-2016-17. The government has made no estimate regarding the difference in earnings between the highest and lowest paid employees in the sector.Higher education providers are autonomous and it is for them to set pay levels for their staff. Universities receive significant amounts of public funding, so it is only right that their senior staff pay arrangements command public confidence and deliver value for money for both students and taxpayers.The government consulted on behalf of the Office for Students (OfS) on making arrangements for the publication of data on senior staff remuneration.From 2018 the OfS will require registered providers to disclose the relationship between the remuneration of the head of the provider and that of all other employees, expressed as a pay multiple. It will also require providers to publish the number of their staff paid more than £100,000 per annum, the total remuneration package of the head of the provider, and a justification for this remuneration package.The transparency created through reporting, is crucial to accelerating progress to close the gender pay gap. The data on the gender pay gap in the higher education sector can be found at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashegenderpaygaptables. From 2018, the OfS will require registered providers to disclose the relationship between the remuneration of the head of the provider and that of all other employees, expressed as a pay multiple. It will also require providers to publish the number of their staff paid more than £100,000 per annum, the total remuneration package of the head of the provider, and a justification for this remuneration package. The Higher Education Funding Council for England, which preceded the OfS, commissioned a project that aims to equalise the gender balance and ethnic diversity of higher education governing bodies. This work will include establishing an online exchange to recruit board members.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018



The Higher Education Statistics Agency publishes information on staff salaries in the higher education sector. The most recent publication can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/publications/staff-2016-17. The government has made no estimate regarding the difference in earnings between the highest and lowest paid employees in the sector.Higher education providers are autonomous and it is for them to set pay levels for their staff. Universities receive significant amounts of public funding, so it is only right that their senior staff pay arrangements command public confidence and deliver value for money for both students and taxpayers.The government consulted on behalf of the Office for Students (OfS) on making arrangements for the publication of data on senior staff remuneration.From 2018 the OfS will require registered providers to disclose the relationship between the remuneration of the head of the provider and that of all other employees, expressed as a pay multiple. It will also require providers to publish the number of their staff paid more than £100,000 per annum, the total remuneration package of the head of the provider, and a justification for this remuneration package.The transparency created through reporting, is crucial to accelerating progress to close the gender pay gap. The data on the gender pay gap in the higher education sector can be found at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashegenderpaygaptables. From 2018, the OfS will require registered providers to disclose the relationship between the remuneration of the head of the provider and that of all other employees, expressed as a pay multiple. It will also require providers to publish the number of their staff paid more than £100,000 per annum, the total remuneration package of the head of the provider, and a justification for this remuneration package. The Higher Education Funding Council for England, which preceded the OfS, commissioned a project that aims to equalise the gender balance and ethnic diversity of higher education governing bodies. This work will include establishing an online exchange to recruit board members.

Gambling: Education

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to introduce requirements for schools to teach pupils in secondary school about the dangers of gambling online.

Nick Gibb: The Government wants all schools to deliver a high-quality education that ensures all young people are equipped with the knowledge they need to prepare them for adult life, including the risks associated with harmful behaviour and addiction. Schools are required to teach a balanced and broad curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, and prepares pupils for the opportunities, experiences and responsibilities of later life. The Department is aware that some schools choose to teach about gambling and addiction in an age-appropriate way, as part of their wider school curriculum or through Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE). The non-statutory PSHE programme of study, published by the PSHE Association, includes teaching about gambling (including online) and its psychological and financial impact. There are also organisations that work with schools and children to raise awareness of the risks around gambling, including the Young Gamblers Education Trust.

Vocational Education

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of technical education provision for secondary school pupils.

Anne Milton: There are currently thousands of technical qualifications available to students at post-16, but some are not of sufficiently high quality. This makes technical qualification options confusing for both students and employers and is why we are introducing new T Levels. Alongside reformed apprenticeships, T Levels will give students a genuine, high quality alternative to A levels. They will give students the skills they need to secure a good job, as well as the knowledge and behaviours that employers value. We are making excellent progress with their development, and recently announced the selected providers who will deliver the first three T Level programmes from September 2020.Students at key stage 4 in any type of school are able to take up to three Technical Awards alongside GCSEs that will count towards their school's Progress 8 and Attainment 8 scores. Technical Awards focus on the applied study of a particular sector or occupational group, and include the acquisition of associate practical or technical skills where appropriate. Each Technical Award is equivalent to a GCSE in robustness and challenge.

Pupils: Assessments

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to reduce the attainment gap in (a) Medway and (b) England.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Grammar Schools

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to prevent selective schools and sixth form colleges (a) suspending pupils and (b) encouraging pupils to leave due to poor grades.

Nick Gibb: State-funded schools can only exclude a pupil, either permanently or for a fixed period, for disciplinary reasons. All decisions to exclude should be lawful, reasonable and fair and follow the statutory guidance issued by the Department. Exclusion on any grounds other than discipline, such as based on academic attainment or ability, is unlawful.Permanent exclusion should only be used as a last resort, in response to a serious breach or persistent breaches of the school's behaviour policy and where allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school. Where a pupil is asked to leave a school, the school must follow the formal exclusions process as set out in the statutory school exclusion guidance. In September 2017, the Department wrote to all schools reminding them of the rules on exclusion.Schools can set admissions requirements for pupils moving into their sixth form because it is a transition stage. For example, entry requirements may be set on the basis of the grades the pupil achieved at Key Stage 4, and schools are permitted to remove pupils from their registers at this stage under the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, if the pupil has failed to meet these standards. However, once the pupil has been admitted to the school sixth form, it is unlawful to exclude them for any reason other than discipline. Moving from Year 12 to Year 13 is not a transition stage and therefore an academic requirement cannot be used to remove pupils and the formal exclusions process must be followed.These regulations do not apply to sixth form colleges as they are not schools. However once a student is enrolled, the institution is expected to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the student can complete their programme.

Schools: Admissions

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to bring publish a consultation on amending the School Admissions Code to enable summer-born children can be admitted to a reception class at the age of five when their parents believe it to be in the best interest of the child.

Nick Gibb: The Department remains committed to amending the School Admissions Code so that summer born children can be admitted to a reception class at the age of five when their parents believe it to be in their best interests. The Department is giving careful consideration to how we might make these changes in a way that avoids unintended consequences elsewhere in the system. Any changes to the School Admissions Code will require a full statutory process. The Department will consider the appropriate time for consulting on these changes in the context of competing pressures on the parliamentary timetable.

Social Mobility: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is he taking to improve social mobility in post-16 education for people in Coventry.

Anne Milton: We are developing a strong skills system that can drive improvements in social mobility. We are implementing key skills reforms, which although are national policies, will benefit people in all areas and from all backgrounds. We are also working with five cities to improve diversity in London, Leicester, Bristol, Great Manchester and Birmingham.Apprenticeships are widely accessible and we are encouraging take up from under-represented groups in a range of ways, including the Apprenticeship Diversity Champion Network, which includes major employers in the West Midlands area such as Rolls Royce and Barclays.Our reforms to technical education through T Levels will be particularly important for social mobility. They will offer young people a real choice between academic and technical study post-16 – making sure everyone has the opportunity to make the most of their talents.The department has also introduced traineeships, which support social mobility by providing quality training for young people who need to develop their skills and experience in order to enter the labour market.Securing good standards of literacy and numeracy helps break cycles of intergenerational economic and social disadvantage. We are focussing on this by requiring all 16 to19 year old students without a GCSE grade 9-4 (A*-C) to continue studying English and maths. In addition, all apprentices will also be required to achieve a prescribed level of English and maths to complete their apprenticeship.The department is offering full funding for adults who need English and maths skills and support English for Speakers of Other Languages as part of our wider efforts to improve adult literacy and numeracy in England. Furthermore, we will be introducing an entitlement to full funding for basic digital skills courses from 2020, mirroring our approach to English and maths.

Special Educational Needs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on investing in digital technologies to help integrate SEN children into mainstream schooling.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Education is interested in and aware of the opportunities technology presents throughout education, includingthe ways in which assistive technologies can support special educational needs (SEN) pupils, and is exploring how best to support schools in realising these opportunities.Mainstream schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for children and young people who are disabled, which includes many of those who have SEN. This means that if pupils require specific technical equipment to enable them to access education on the same basis as their peers, schools must provide that equipment.Decisions about investment in technologies for children and young people with SEN are made locally, by schools and local authorities.Schools are expected to meet the first £6,000 of support for children with SEN from their budget. If costs are in excess of this amount, schools can apply to their local authority for top-up funding. Where a pupil has an Education, Health and Care plan, local authorities work with health and social care partners to deliver the special educational provision specified in the plan.

Teachers: Recruitment

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2018 to Question 153261, on teachers: recruitment, how his Department plans to use the money within the remaining budget.

Nick Gibb: Spend on teacher bursaries is determined by the number of trainee teachers recruited annually. As recruitment varies year-on-year it is difficult to accurately predict expenditure when budgets are set, which means that underspends and overspends often materialise. All underspends are collected centrally and targeted towards high-priority areas of education spending.

Apprentices: EU Nationals

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether employers will still be able to claim funding for apprentices from the EU that start in 2019 for the duration of their apprenticeship.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Apprentices: Taxation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of apprenticeship levy-paying employers in England that have used that funding to pay for MBA courses.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: Greater Manchester

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the funding for schools in Manchester in (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018



Schools in Manchester were allocated £43.2 million through the pupil premium in 2017-18 and £43.4 million in 2018-19.[1] [2] The pupil premium targets funding at pupils from the most deprived backgrounds to help them achieve their full potential.In 2017-18, schools in Manchester were allocated £5,281 per pupil through the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). The average per pupil funding for England as a whole was £4,619 per pupil.[3]In 2018-19, schools in Manchester were allocated £5,267 per pupil through the schools block of the DSG. The average per pupil funding for England as a whole was £4,630 per pupil.[4]The figures for the two years are not comparable. In 2018-19 the Department created the central school services block, which was previously in the schools block. This is given to local authorities so that they can provide central services for schools. [1] Full details of Pupil Premium in 2017-18 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-2017-to-2018.[2] Full details of Pupil Premium in 2018-19 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-2018-to-2019.[3] Full details of the DSG in 2017-18 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2017-to-2018.[4] Full details of the DSG in 2018-19 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019.

Carillion: Apprentices

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2018 to Question 157841, whether the 225 apprentices transferred from Carillion Training Services Limited who are actively seeking employment or training are continuing to be paid apprenticeship wages.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Carillion: Apprentices

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2018 to Question 157841, how many of the 775 apprentices transferred from Carillion Training Services Limited who have been found new employment have been placed with public sector employers.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Special Educational Needs

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were refused an Education, Health and Care assessment by a local authority in England in each of the last three years.

Nadhim Zahawi: We publish the number of children who were refused an Education, Health and Care assessment by local authority in the annual statistics publication ‘Statements of SEN and EHC plans’: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen.

Ministry of Justice

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons HM Courts and Tribunal Service is sending a new enquiry form to disabled/unwell people who have already submitted an SSCS1 appealing against the refusal of personal independence payments or employment and support allowance which asks the appellant if they with to continue with their appeal; and whether an appellant will be removed from the waiting list for a hearing and their appeal ended if they do not complete and return the new enquiry form within 14 days.

Rory Stewart: The Social Security and Child Benefit (SSCS) Direct Lodgement Centre (DLC), based in Bradford, has since April 2013 dealt with the receipt, compliance checking and case creation of all SSCS appeals for England and Wales. This includes appeals against decisions on all Department for Work and Pensions administered benefits, alongside the following from HMRC: Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits, and Child Benefit. Following the launch and acceptance of a lodged appeal the DLC will forward to one of 7 Regional Centres for progression of the case. The prescribed form for a lodgment of an appeal is the SSCS1 form, and on receipt of a compliant appeal in this form the DLC would not issue a further hearing enquiry form. However appeals made without the form, usually received in letter form are accepted and in these circumstances a hearing enquiry form is sent to the appellant. If a response is not received within the timescale the Regional Centre would issue a reminder to the appellant on the tribunal standard letter DL2, this provides an opportunity for the appellant to inform the tribunal if they have now decided not to continue the appeal, however the appeal can only be stopped if the appellant tells the tribunal to do so. This is for all types of benefit and is not restricted to Personal Independence Payments or Employment Support allowance. Within the Direct Lodgment Process, we are not aware of any process were enquiry forms are routinely sent on an appeal received on an SSCS1 form.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when HM Courts and Tribunals Service started writing to disabled and unwell appellants to request that they complete and return a new enquiry form requiring confirmation that they wish to continue with their appeal for personal independence payments or employment and support allowance and who have already provided the required information in an SSCS1; and how many of those forms have been sent to date.

Rory Stewart: The Social Security and Child Benefit (SSCS) Direct Lodgement Centre (DLC), based in Bradford, has since April 2013 dealt with the receipt, compliance checking and case creation of all SSCS appeals for England and Wales. This includes appeals against decisions on all Department for Work and Pensions administered benefits, alongside the following from HMRC: Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits, and Child Benefit. Following the launch and acceptance of a lodged appeal the DLC will forward to one of 7 Regional Centres for progression of the case. The prescribed form for a lodgment of an appeal is the SSCS1 form, and on receipt of a compliant appeal in this form the DLC would not issue a further hearing enquiry form. However to ensure access to justice, the DLC accepts appeals in any format, usually received in the form of a letter. This may not contain all the relevant information and in these circumstances a Hearing Enquiry form is sent to the appellant asking for the details to be completed, allowing 14 days for a response, and is not restricted to Personal Independence Payments or Employment Support allowance, when not received on the prescribed for the enquiry form is sent on any type of benefit appeal. Within the Direct Lodgment Process, we are not aware of any process were enquiry forms are routinely sent on an appeal received on an SSCS1 form. The process to send a hearing enquiry form out when an appeal is received in letter has been the process from July 2013. The number of forms that have been sent out since 2013 is 108,202.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether HM Courts and Tribunal Service is sending a copy of the new enquiry form being sent to disabled and unwell people in respect personal independence payments or employment and support allowance to that person's advocate or representative where the contact details of that person or organisation have already been included on the original SSCS1 appeal form.

Rory Stewart: The Social Security and Child Benefit (SSCS) Direct Lodgement Centre, based in Bradford, has since April 2013 dealt with the receipt, compliance checking and case creation of all SSCS appeals for England and Wales. This includes appeals against decisions on all Department for Work and Pensions administered benefits, alongside the following from HMRC: Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits, and Child Benefit. The prescribed form for a lodgment of an appeal is the SSCS1 form, and on receipt of a compliant appeal in this form the DLC would not issue a further hearing enquiry form. Appeals are accepted without an SSCS1 form, usually received in the form of a letter, and in these circumstances a hearing enquiry form is sent to the appellant, and the DLC would send the enquiry form to the appellants contact details only. Within the Direct Lodgment Process, we are not aware of any process were enquiry forms are routinely sent on an appeal received on an SSCS1 form.

Prison Officers: Retirement

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason the retirement age for a prison officer is different from that for a police officer.

Rory Stewart: In the lead up to the implementation of the Career Average Civil Service pension scheme for new entrants in 2007, the pension age increased from 60 to 65. The Pensions Technical Team in Cabinet Office gave consideration to the fact that the prison officer role can be physically demanding. They concluded that there were a number of other civil servants whose jobs were just as demanding (e.g. seaman on Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and on fishery protection vessels) and that it could not justify a lower pension age than other scheme members. The trade union signed up to the 2007 scheme, which introduced a Normal Pension Age (NPA) of 65. HMPPS has been recruiting new entrant prison officers with a pension age of 65 from 1 July 2007 up until 31 March 2015. Under the 2012 public sector pension reform proposals, the pension age for police officers was reviewed and increased from 55 to 60. It was also noted that the pension age under the police officer scheme would be subject to future review and could be increased to reflect individual member’s State Pension Age (SPA) The Pensions Technical Team in the Cabinet Office and HMPPS have had a number of meetings with the Prison Officer trade union in relation to the pension age for Prison Officers. An important point of principle which the Government took into account in maintaining a pension age of 60 for police officers was that, the individuals contribute 12.44% towards their pension. The average contribution rate for those in the Civil Service pension (including Prison Officers) is around 5.45%.

Prison Officers: Retirement

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications of the retirement age for prison officers being set eight years higher than that for police officers for the (a) safety and (b) health and general welfare of prison officers.

Rory Stewart: The Normal Pension Age (NPA) under the Civil Service pension scheme is linked to the individual member’s State Pension Age (SPA) and ranges from 65 to 68, based on their date of birth. Prison Officers, who are covered by the Civil Service Pension had a NPA of 60 (under the pre July 2007 final salary schemes) or 65 (Career Average scheme brought in from 1 July 2007). Since 2007, when the NPA changed for new entrants to 65 under a Career Average Pension, HMPPS has been recruiting new Prison Officers in their sixties who have passed the fitness test and are performing their roles effectively. In addition, many staff who have the right to retire at 60 choose to work beyond their retirement age. The Pensions Technical Team in the Cabinet Office and HMPPS have had a number of meetings with the Prison Officer trade union in relation to the pension age for Prison Officers. HMPPS is taking action to improve prison safety and security, alongside reforms to overhaul the system to focus on the rehabilitation of offenders. This includes tackling the supply and demand of drugs, drones and phones which drive prison violence and undermine safety. We are undertaking mandatory drug testing for psychoactive substances which is now happening across the prison estate and rolling out Body Worn Cameras. Violence in prison is a crime and any prisoner who commits an act of violence can expect to have action taken against them. HMPPS takes very seriously the health and safety of all staff working within prisons. Staff have access to an Employee Assistance Programme and are covered by a wide range of Occupational Health services provided by a range of specialist health care professionals.

Prison Officers: Resignations

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers in England and Wales left the Prison Service more than 18 months after the commencement of their employment in each of the last eight years.

Rory Stewart: Holding answer received on 06 July 2018



The number of band 3-5 prison officers who left the Prison Service with more than 18 months service at leaving is shown in table 1 below.Table 1: Band 3-5 officers1 (headcount) who left the Prison Service with more than 18 months service2, 2010/11 to 2017/18 Financial yearMore than 18 months serviceTotal band 3-5 officer leavers2010/111,0521,1482011/121,0911,1552012/131,4751,5252013/142,9192,9422014/151,2651,3522015/161,1821,5362016/171,4301,8242017/181,3392,0731 Includes Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officer and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.2 Length of service in HMPPS calculated from most recent hire date. Where staff have transferred in from another Government Department or have transferred in through HMPPS taking over a function, length of service is calculated from entry to HMPPS.

Birmingham Prison: Prison Officers

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2018 to Question 152828, on Birmingham Prison: Prison Officers, how many prison officers in England and Wales left the Prison Service while serving in HMP Birmingham after more than eighteen months from the start of their employment in each of the last eight years.

Rory Stewart: Further to my previous answer (PQ152828), this table shows the number of prison custody officers that left the Prison Service while serving in HMP Birmingham in the calendar years from 2010 to 2017, and to 1 June 2018;Length of service prior to leavingYear201020112012201320142015201620172018Total> 18 Months192815231431666924248

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2018 to Question 156397 on Prisoners' Release, which offence was committed in each of the 17 instances of re-offending; and what the consequences were for the prisoner in each case.

Rory Stewart: A temporary release failure is recorded when alleged offending during ROTL is reported and there were 17 such failures in 2016, when there were 332,776 temporary releases and not 351,290 as indicated in the previous reply. In the 17 cases the charges fell into the following categories – five drugs, four violence against the person, two theft, two summary motoring, one sexual assault, one robbery, one miscellaneous and one other offence. Prison records do not routinely show the outcome of the charge, whether it was taken further by the police and, if so, whether there was a conviction, but do show that in each case the offender was transferred from open to closed prison conditions. Those convicted of an offence committed on ROTL are ineligible for further ROTL during the current sentence.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for which offence or offences each current prisoner serving a sentence of 12 months or less was imprisoned.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many community or equivalent orders each current prisoner serving a sentence of 12 months or less has previously been given.

Rory Stewart: From centrally held data it is not possible to separately identify ‘how many community or equivalent orders each current prisoner serving a sentence of 12 months or less has previously been given’, without incurring disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Females

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list every offence committed by each of the female prisoners currently held in prison.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the details of every offence committed by each of the female prisoners currently held in prison. This information can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to increase the number of private prisons in the West Midlands.

Rory Stewart: On 26 June 2018 the government reaffirmed its commitment to previously announced plans, subject to planning approvals, value for money and affordability, to build six category C modern prison in the following locations:HM Prison Wellingborough in Northamptonshire;HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Glen Parva in Leicestershireon land adjacent to HMP Full Sutton in East YorkshirePort Talbot in Neath;HMP&YOI Hindley in Greater Manchester;HMP&YOI Rochester in Kent We intend to build the first prison at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, through public capital. We will also continue to demolish the buildings at Glen Parva, Leicestershire, and intend to deliver the second prison there through private finance. We will explore funding routes, including private finance, for the delivery of the remaining 10,000 places. There are currently no plans to increase the number of private prisons beyond what has already been announced.

Legal Aid Scheme: South Yorkshire

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of legal aid provision for litigants in (a) Barnsley and (b) South Yorkshire.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the reduction in the number of criminal legal aid lawyers in (a) Barnsley (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England following the introduction of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal legal aid lawyers there are per population in (a) Barnsley, (b) Yorkshire and (c) London.

Rory Stewart: The Legal Aid Agency monitors capacity across legal aid contracts on a regular basis and takes action to ensure there is ongoing availability of legal advice for the public. At a local level, engagement generally takes place through the LAA’s local contract management team, although wider strategic concerns can also be raised by the profession’s representative groups through the regular engagement meetings the LAA holds with those organisations. The number of solicitor offices providing legal aid in the areas you have enquired about has remained broadly static over the last several financial years, with the number of claims submitted exhibiting a moderate year-on-year reduction.

Prisons

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Justice of 2 July 2018, Official Report, column 100, whether he has a target date for the system of weekly 45 minute individual meetings between prisoners and prison officers to be in operation in all prisons.

Rory Stewart: Full roll-out of key workers in closed prisons will take place as part of the Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) model and is planned to be completed by 30 June 2019.

Legal Representation: Low Incomes

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure access to legal representation for people with low incomes.

Rory Stewart: The ability of individuals to resolve their legal problems is vital to a just society. Legal aid continues to be available in the highest priority cases – for example, when an individual’s life or liberty is at stake, when someone faces the loss of their home, in domestic violence cases, or when children may be taken into care – subject to an applicant passing the test of means and merits. In the Crown Court, over 99% of applications for legally-aided representation are granted. As part of the evidence gathering phase of the Post-Implementation Review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, we are gathering evidence on people’s ability to access legal support to resolve their legal issues. The evidence gathered will be used to inform our wider considerations for the future of legal support in the justice system.

Prisons: Private Sector

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the duties and functions of Ministry of Justice Controllers are in each privately-operated prison.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse has been of the operation of the Ministry of Justice Controllers' departments in each privately-operated prison in each of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how long the current Ministry of Justice Controllers in each privately-operated prisons have been in post.

Rory Stewart: Each privately managed prison has a full-time on-site Controller, Deputy Controller and Assistant Controller, all employed by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The Controller is accountable to HMPPS for providing assurance that the contract is delivered in accordance with agreed contractual delivery indicators, and that the prison provides safe, decent and secure services, in line with HMPPS performance standards. All the controllers are supported by a central contract management team. The attached table shows the length of time each current controller has been in their role at that particular prison, and the length of time that they have been a controller. It was not possible to provide the information to question (ii) within the cost limit. I can confirm that each site there is a Controller (Pay Band 9), Deputy Controller (Pay Band 7) and an Assistant Controller (Pay Band 4). Private providers continue to play an important role in the prison estate and I can assure you that performance of all providers is closely monitored and we will not hesitate to take action where standards fall short.PrisonAltcourseAshfieldBirminghamBronzefieldDoncasterDovegateForest BankDate in current postMay-18Sep-15Jun-18Dec-17May-18Apr-16May-18Length of time as Controller1 month on TP2 years 10 months1 year on TP, 1 month substantive7 months2 years 3 months2 years 3 months13 years 10 monthsPrisonLowdham GrangeNorthumberlandOakwoodParcPeterboroughRye HillThamesideDate in current postMar-12May-18Jul-17Mar-15Aug-12Apr-156 YearsLength of time as ControllerSix years 4 months2 months on TP1 Year6 years 6 months5 Years 11 months3 years 3 months6 Years

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: East Midlands

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to enable businesses in the East Midlands to increase their international trade after the UK leaves the EU.

Graham Stuart: In the East Midlands, a network of 24 highly experienced local International Trade Advisers act as the Department for International Trade's (DIT) face to face contact with local businesses. They provide both new and existing exporters with expert trade advice, market know-how and practical support for international growth, and connect them to DIT’s sector specialists and its wider international network. UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency, helps businesses in the East Midlands win, fulfil and get paid for their overseas sales. For instance, UKEF is currently providing a rolling working capital facility to support exports from Norton Motorcycles, based in Castle Donnington near Derby, as it grows its brand in Asian markets.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to assess the environmental effect of new housing using the DEFRA biodiversity metric; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab: National planning policy continues to emphasise the role of planning in protecting and enhancing our natural environment, and helping to improve biodiversity. The National Planning Policy Framework is being revised, and during the recent consultation we received many responses regarding the importance of biodiversity and other environmental issues. We have considered all the consultation responses carefully. However, the Defra biodiversity metric is not for application at national level. Planning decisions about new housing and its location are for local planning authorities to make. They should determine each planning proposal in the light of the Local Plan and any other considerations they find material to the case, including the strong environmental policies set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Social Rented Housing

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2018 to Question 152765 on Social Rented Housing, what other sources of local authority borrowing used for the purpose of the provision of housing there are aside from (a) the European Investment Bank and (b) Public Works Loan Board.

Dominic Raab: Primary legislation gives local authorities the power to borrow in sterling, from any lender, without prior government consent, subject only to assuring themselves that their borrowing is affordable.

Local Government Finance: Somerset

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2018 to Question 142845 on Social Rented Housing, and the Answer of 15 June 2018 to Question 152763 on Local Government Finance: Somerset, what assessment his Department has made of the ability of Somerset County Council to deliver a consistent quality of service across a range of priorities.

Rishi Sunak: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many councils are eligible to bid for additional housing revenue account borrowing in each region.

Dominic Raab: Of the 166 local authorities with a Housing Revenue Account, 104 are in an area of high affordability pressure and are eligible to bid for the additional borrowing programme (63 per cent). A list of eligible authorities is contained in the bidding prospectus.

Housing Revenue Accounts: Cheshire

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Cheshire West and Chester Council is eligible to bid for additional housing revenue account borrowing.

Dominic Raab: On 26 June the Secretary of State invited local authorities in high affordability pressure areas to bid for the £1 billion additional borrowing programme. The prospectus inviting bids sets out which local authorities are eligible to bid. Chester and Cheshire West Borough Council is not eligible to bid as it does not meet the definition of affordability pressure as set out in the prospectus.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether when determining the high affordability pressure criterion of the additional housing revenue account borrowing programme prospectus he accounts for variations within local authority areas which mean some towns and cities face more significant cost pressures than the local average.

Dominic Raab: The metric that is used to assess whether a local authority is in an area of high affordability pressure is whether it has a difference of £50, or more, per week between average social and private rents at the local authority level. As this data is only available at the local authority level, bids can not be accepted in respect of geographic areas that are smaller than local authority areas.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to extend to all local authorities the permission to bid for additional housing revenue account borrowing to build new council housing.

Dominic Raab: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Land: Registration

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps local authorities may take to tackle public safety concerns on unregistered land.

Rishi Sunak: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations have (i) applied for and (ii) been granted funding for the replacement of flammable cladding on tower blocks; and how many (A) local authority and (B) housing association tower blocks have been (1) the subject of such applications and (2) been granted that funding.

James Brokenshire: We published guidance on 3 July setting out how local authorities and housing associations can apply for funding for the replacement of unsafe Aluminium Composite Material cladding on social residential buildings 18 metres and over. We want to be able to make payments as soon as possible so would like building owners to make applications by the end of August.The application guidance is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-sector-acm-cladding-remediation-fund-application-guidance.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of funding the replacement of cladding on local authority and housing association tower blocks.

James Brokenshire: Grant funding will be available to cover all reasonable costs for the remediation of Aluminium Composite Material cladding systems which have failed large-scale fire performance tests commissioned by Government in 2017 on social housing buildings 18 metres and over owned by local authorities and housing associations. From initial information provided by social landlords, the Government estimates the total costs to be £400 million.

Housing: Fire Prevention

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to ensure the adequacy of the powers of local authorities to maintain the safety of residential properties which have suffered four fires in the course of twelve months.

Dominic Raab: Local authorities have strong and effective powers to deal with poor quality unsafe accommodation and they have a statutory duty to keep housing conditions in their areas under review. They should take enforcement action against owners of buildings in their areas that are not acting responsibly in respect of hazards, and we encourage them to use these powers to the fullest to ensure residents are safe.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many blocks of flats which have been found to have dangerous cladding after the Grenfell Tower disaster are owned by freeholders who have not funded removal of that cladding; and if he will he make a statement.

Dominic Raab: As of 14 June 2018, from the results of Building Research Establishment large-scale system tests and the information provided to us by local authorities we know of 297 private sector residential buildings with cladding systems that are unlikely to meet current Building Regulations guidance. Local authorities have told us about plans for remediating 72 buildings. Of these, 21 buildings have started remediation, of which 4 have completed.We have made it clear that we expect building owners and industry to explore all options to protect leaseholders from incurring the costs associated with replacing unsafe cladding. Some in the sector, such as Barratt Developments, Legal & General and Taylor Wimpey, are doing the right thing and taking responsibility. We want others to follow their ​lead and we will continue to encourage them to do so. They must do the right thing, and if they do not, we are not ruling anything out at this stage.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Sexuality

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel have declared their sexual orientation to be (a) heterosexual, (b) homosexual, (c) bisexual or (d) other.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The declaration rate of sexual orientation in the Armed Forces is published in the Ministry of Defence's biannual Diversity Statistics publication. The latest edition is the 1 April 2018 publication, which can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-2018.

Armed Forces: Disability

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people employed by the armed forces have a declared disability.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence recognises disability in Armed Forces personnel as part of a diverse workforce. However, the Armed Forces currently have a disability exemption from the Equality Act 2010 because of their requirement to achieve and maintain operational effectiveness, part of which rests on the need for all personnel to be interoperable and able to carry out a wide range of functions frequently at short notice. Disability declarations are therefore not required from Service personnel.

Armed Forces: Sexuality

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more service personnel to declare their sexual orientation.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Whilst noting that it is a personal choice, Armed Forces Personnel are encouraged to anonymously declare their sexual orientation on the Armed Forces HR system. A wide range of methods are utilised to encourage personnel to declare. These include communications campaigns, briefings from senior leaders, encouragement at staff college courses/conferences, involvement of the LGBT staff networks and as part of induction procedures for arrivals at a new unit. Personnel are assured of the confidentiality of the data and the benefits of recording it - to ensure policies are relevant, appropriate and informed.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Mr Paul Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of reservists that have joined the regular armed forces in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The number of Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) Service personnel leaving to join the UK Regular Forces over the last five years is shown below. 2013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18250340440520490  The figures only include direct transfers from the FR20 population. Figures do not include cadets leaving the University Officer Training Corps, University Air Squadron and University Royal Navy Unit to join the UK Regular forces. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on investigating documents leaked from his Department.

Gavin Williamson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 July 2018 to Question 159554 to the hon. Member for Llanelli (Nia Griffith).



Military Alliances : Discloure of Information
(Word Document, 26.5 KB)

Ministry of Defence: Written Questions

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond substantively to Questions 142890 and 142899, on Clyde Naval Base: Submarines, tabled on 10 May 2018 by the hon. Member for Edinburgh North and Leith.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The retrieval and collation of the data to provide a substantive answer to the hon. Member's questions is taking some time. Once the process is complete I will provide a response, placing a copy in the Library of the House.

AWACS

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to announce the replacement for the Royal Air Force E-3D Sentry AWACS aircraft.

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy that the contract for the replacement of the Royal Air Force's E-3D Sentry AWACS aircraft will be subject to a process of competitive tender.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Any decision on the way forward for the Airborne Warning and Control System capability will be taken in the best interests of national security in the face of intensifying threats. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Department for Work and Pensions

Work Capability Assessment

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2018 to Question 154724, if she will publish an evaluation of the steps taken by her Department to implement any recommendations made following that investigation into Keith Morgan’s Work Capability Assessment.

Sarah Newton: The Department ensured that Atos Healthcare (now Independent Assessment Services) conducted a thorough investigation into Mr Morgan’s complaint. Following this investigation the Provider took the appropriate management action to address the conduct of the Health Professional in accordance with their serious complaint procedures. The Department was satisfied that Mr Morgan’s complaint had been fully investigated and the findings acted upon by Atos Healthcare.

Employment and Support Allowance: Scotland

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applicants for employment and support allowance have waited over one year for a medical assessment in (a) Scotland and (b) Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in the last year.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants have been successful on appeal at tribunal against decisions to reject a claim in (a) Scotland and (b) Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in the last year.

Sarah Newton: The available information on waiting times and appeals in Scotland can be found in the ESA Outcomes of Work Capability Assessments quarterly statistics published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-june-2018 This information is not readily available at constituency level and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment: Scotland

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of personal independence payment have been successful on appeal at tribunal in (a) Scotland and (b) the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in the last year.

Sarah Newton: For Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions made in 2016/17 (the most recent period available to allow for most appeals to have been completed), the number of appeals in the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency and Scotland were as follows:  Decision MaintainedDecision OverturnedTotal AppealsTotal DecisionsKirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath601001602150Scotland3,4605,1948,660105,890 To put these figures into context 7% of PIP decisions in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath were appealed and 5% were overturned. For Scotland as a whole the figures were 8% and 5%. Notes: Appeals data is up to March 2018 and excludes withdrawn appeals.PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants, and is for both new claims and DLA reassessment claimsData has been rounded to the nearest 10.Percentages have been rounded to the nearest percent.Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.Appeals data taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information and count one appeal per claim. Therefore this appeal data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.Decisions overturned at appeal may include a number of appeals that have been lapsed (which is where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal)The Local Authority and Government Office Region geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode) rather than the location of where the tribunal was held.

Unemployment

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce unemployment in (a) Oldham West and Royton constituency and (b) the rest of the UK.

Alok Sharma: The rate of unemployment in the Oldham Local Authority District – using the Annual Population Survey (APS) – was estimated to be 10.0% for the year to December 2010. By comparison the estimate for the year to December 2017 was 5.9%, a reduction of 4.1%. Nationally, the UK unemployment rate, currently at 4.2%, has fallen by 3.8 percentage points since 2010. In the Oldham West and Royton constituency the Department offers a range of support to help more people move into work and to progress in work. These include ‘Super ESOL’ courses, which focus on the needs of claimants with little or no English speaking skills and ‘Your Experience Matters’ workshops, which are aimed at our older claimants. Through the Jobcentre Plus ‘Support for Schools’ initiative, Oldham Jobcentre is engaged with seven secondary schools in Oldham; supporting careers sessions, careers fairs and ‘mock interview’ days. Additionally, we continue to work with a range of partners to ensure customers are referred to appropriate services such as Mind, Raise and Groundwork according to their individual needs, and we are working closely with Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council as part of the Universal Support offer to claimants. Jobcentres across the country offer similar support.

Offenders: Females

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many female offenders did not receive an appointment at their local job centre on the day of their release in each year since 2010.

Kit Malthouse: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Children: Maintenance

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Maintenance claims are currently in dispute.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken is to resolve a disputed case with the Child Maintenance Service in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Kit Malthouse: We have interpreted dispute to refer to any situation where there is a disagreement between parents about the details of a child maintenance case which have an impact on the amount of child maintenance to be paid. As such, a dispute could refer to mandatory reconsiderations and/or appeals. Statistics on mandatory reconsiderations and appeals are published in tables 15 and 16 of the Child Maintenance Service: Aug 2013 to Mar 2018 (experimental) available online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-aug-2013-to-mar-2018-experimentalInformation on current mandatory reconsiderations and appeals will be available in future publications, information up to the end of June 2018 is due to be published in September 2018. The volume and percentage of mandatory reconsiderations cleared within 20 working days is also published in table 15 of the Child Maintenance Service Statistics.On average in 2017/18, appeals were with the Child Maintenance Service for 42 days. Where the parent was not satisfied with the outcome from appeal to the Child Maintenance Service, the parent can submit an appeal to HM Courts & Tribunal Service, who took on average 168 days to review an appeal.

Child Maintenance Service: Training

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is provided to staff of the Child Maintenance Service on legislation applicable to their area of responsibility.

Kit Malthouse: Child Maintenance Group employees are provided with a comprehensive induction and a tailored technical training programme including legislation appropriate to their area of work. There is no one single training product covering all aspects of this programme.

Social Security Benefits and Child Support: Inverclyde

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory reconsideration cases in relation to (a) social security and (b) child support claims have taken place in Inverclyde constituency in each of the last five years.

Kit Malthouse: The information requested could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. DWP provides volumes of Mandatory Reconsiderations at a national level in the following statistical publications. “Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to April 2018” – Tables 7a and 7b, available on line at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-april-2018 “ESA: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments including mandatory reconsiderations and appeals: June 2018” – Tables 12 to 15, available on line at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-june-2018 “Benefit sanctions statistics to January 2018” – Tables 1.8, 2.6, and 3.6, available on line at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-to-january-2018. Further breakdowns of these statistics for Parliamentary Constituencies can be found via Stat-Xplore:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html. “Child Maintenance Service: Aug 2013 to Mar 2018 (experimental)” – Table 15, available on line at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-aug-2013-to-mar-2018-experimental

Occupational Pensions

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that information is provided to people in auto-enrolment pension schemes on the potential monthly contributions required to provide illustrative potential examples of monthly pension payments in retirement.

Guy Opperman: The Review of Automatic Enrolment in 2017 revealed that there is no consensus about future contribution rates and whether, when and to what level they might increase. As such, it is important that we understand the effects the planned increases will have, and to carry out further work on the adequacy of retirement incomes. As part of the Government's 2017 Review of Automatic Enrolment, we looked at the theme of better engagement and how individuals can be better informed and enabled to plan for retirement. Pension providers increasingly offer online tools which offer fast, creative and cost-effective ways for providers to communicate with savers to help them plan. We welcome this investment, however there is more to do and the Review set out specific areas for the pensions industry and other partners to do build on and develop new initiatives. One area the Review examined was the role and examples of annual benefit statements which provide information to members about their pension saving, including important information to help members plan. One example of good practice included in the Review report was an approach that had been developed by industry and Ruston Smith, co-Chair of the engagement theme in the Review. Since the report was published that work has been continuing, and we welcome this as an example of industry taking the lead and working together to enable members to be able to plan for their retirement.

Employment: Disability

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the most recent data from the ONS on the number of disabled people in work; and what steps she is taking to increase the number of such people in work in Coventry.

Sarah Newton: The most recent data from ONS for which comparisons can be made shows that the number of disabled people in work reached 3.5 million in 2017, an increase of 600,000 since 2013.The Government is committed to building a society in which disabled people and those with health conditions are able to, wherever possible, fulfil their potential and work. That is why we have made the ambitious commitment to see one million more disabled people in work by 2027 and are taking decisive action across the welfare system, workplace and health sector.For example we have recently launched the Health-Led employment trials in the Sheffield City Region and the West midlands Combined Authority. These trials will help us find out whether a modified ‘Individual Placement and Support’ (IPS) model can help people with physical and/or mental health conditions get into, and stay in, sustainable paid employment. They will also allow us to gather the evidence needed to help develop more effective employment support services and make sure they are accessible and inclusive to anyone who wants to benefit from them.We are also investing over £1.1million across Coventry and Warwickshire until March 2020 to provide Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services with employment advisers (EAs) as part of a £39 million initiative to provide EAs in IAPT services in 40% of Clinical Commissioning Groups across England. IAPT services provide psychological therapies to people with common mental health problems.

Social Security Benefits

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the removal of implicit consent in welfare cases on claimants with (a) learning difficulties, (b) mental health issues and (c) those for whom English is not a first language.

Alok Sharma: Under Universal Credit, the online digital account is fundamental to the design, which allows claimants access to all their personal, medical, financial and other data. As a result, the claimant ‘holds the key’ to that account at all times. Running a system of implied consent in Universal Credit means that the risk of disclosure of this material to third parties is heightened beyond an acceptable level under the data protection rules and might also undermine some of the other security features we build into the system through personal accreditation. A claimant can, however, give explicit consent for an adviser or other third party to talk to the Department about their Universal Credit claim via their journal, over the phone or in person, when accompanied by their adviser, and can state what information can be shared, with whom and for what purpose. Alternatively, if a personal appointee is appropriate, the claimant or appointee can raise this at the initial claim stage and we can arrange a home visit to verify the appointee, which will enable them to manage the account for the claimant. We continuously review the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs.

Fire Prevention

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to  ensure that the Health and Safety Executive has the capacity to act on four residential fires in one building in the course of one year.

Sarah Newton: The Health and Safety Executive is not the enforcing authority for fire safety and general fire precautions in residential properties. Fire safety in certain types of residential accommodation is enforced by Local Authorities under the Housing Act 2004 and Fire & Rescue Authorities under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Universal Credit

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of advance payments that have been applied for as a result of the roll-out of universal credit.

Alok Sharma: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Funerals: Grants

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications were made to her Department for a grant towards the costs of a funeral between June 2017 and May 2018.

Kit Malthouse: The Funeral Expenses Payment is a recoverable loan, rather than a non-recoverable grant. In the period June 2017- May 2018, there were approximately 40,200 applications received for Funeral Expenses Payments in Great Britain. This figure is drawn from the Social Fund Policy, Budget, and Management Information System. Notes:The figure is rounded to the nearest 100.The figure relates to applications received by DWP, not applications processed. Some applications may have been withdrawn before a decision was made.The figure does not include applications that were processed clerically and have not been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.The number of applications made in each year is not equal to the number of people who made applications in that year. An individual may make multiple applications in a given time period.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Mink: USA

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing an (a) regional and (b) national species control scheme for the American mink.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has no plans to assess the potential merits of a national control scheme in England but will continue to work in partnership on local and regional projects. There are examples of successful regional projects to control American mink led by NGOs and volunteer groups, such as the Norfolk Mink Project. The Government’s approach is that individuals should be free to manage wildlife within the law and the Government should only intervene when there is good reason to do so. In the first instance, dealing with problem wildlife is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of the property where the problem occurs.

Frogs: Conservation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) increase habitats for frogs.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is taking a range of actions to identify and conserve habitats for frogs through our partnerships, our agri-environment schemes and our work to support planning authorities and developers. Natural England is a partner in the National Amphibian and Reptile Survey which coordinates monitoring of the status and distribution of all the UK’s reptiles and amphibians, including the common and pool frog. Natural England is developing a new system of protected species licensing for development impacting on great crested newts. This will ensure that habitat compensation is undertaken proactively at the district level by Natural England and the local authority, and it will increase the amount of habitat for newts and other amphibians. We protect a number of amphibian species including the pool frog and their habitats under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. These make it illegal to disturb the species or damage or disturb any place that the species may use for shelter and protection. With regard to frogs this may include aquatic habitats where they are present. We provide payments, through our agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship, to restore or create ponds and improve surrounding habitat used by frogs. This is a devolved matter, so these actions only refer to what HMG is undertaking in England.

Fisheries: Antibiotics

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in the use of antibiotics in the UK fisheries sector in the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: Over the last five years, the amount of active ingredient of antibiotic sold for use in fish-only has oscillated around an average of 1.5 tonnes and, in 2016, represented less than 0.5% of antibiotics sold for use in animals. 20122013201420152016Tonnes2.10.82.40.71.6

Agriculture: Antibiotics

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the trends in antibiotic usage in the UK agricultural sector over the most recent five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: The latest data from 2016 shows that antibiotic sales in the UK agricultural sector had fallen to 45mg/kg; this figure represents a 32% reduction over the last five years. 20122013201420152016mg/kg6662625645

Origin Marking: Scotland

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2017 to Question 2142 on Origin Marking: Scotland, what progress he has made on UK designations after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The Government recognises the economic and cultural importance of UK Geographical Indications (GIs). We are working with the devolved administrations and stakeholders to develop UK operable GI schemes for when we leave the EU.We will use the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to put these schemes in place on day one for wines, aromatised wines, spirit drinks, and agricultural products and foodstuffs. This will provide UK protection for UK GIs when we leave the EU and ensure that the UK fulfils its obligations under the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

Food Poverty: Surveys

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Food Standards Agency on the potential merits of including questions that relate to child food insecurity in the next Food and You Survey.

George Eustice: The Food and You survey is a Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey. Whilst the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs works very collaboratively with the FSA, it is ultimately an FSA decision regarding what questions to include in the survey.

Home Office

Home Office: Written Questions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to answer Question 136368, tabled on 18 April 2018 by the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion.

Caroline Nokes: The response for UIN 136368 was answered on 03 July 2018.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to respond to the letter of 24 April 2018 to the Minister of State for Immigration from the hon. Member for Slough on the case of a constituent, reference TD3808.

Caroline Nokes: I apologise for the delay in responding to the Hon. Members letter of 24 April 2018. A response will be sent shortly.

Asylum: Housing

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staffing levels in the Home Office for the processing in a timely manner of applications for support under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office recognises the importance of ensuring that we have sufficient appropriately trained staff to assess asylum support applications and to meet our customers’ priority needs. The Home Office has rolling recruitment campaigns to ensure the number of staff are maintained at a level that allows cases to be processed.

Asylum: Housing

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of applications for support under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999 to prevent asylum seekers becoming destitute were processed within 14 days in each of the last three years.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office monitors closely the performance of asylum support application decision making and has a range of targets for processing support applications depending on the nature of the application being made. However information on processing times is not recorded in a format suitable for publication and there are no plans to publish such statistics at this time.

British Nationals Abroad: Terrorism

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral contribution of the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of 14 September 2017, Official Report, column 1091, what the work of that joint officials unit has been since its establishment; and what the budget of that unit has been in each financial year since 2014-2015.

Victoria Atkins: The Joint Officials Unit established in 2015 to provide support to British victims of the Sousse attack has now been stood down. As recommended by the Ministerial Committee at the time, we established the cross-HMG Victims of Terrorism Unit, in March 2017, to co-ordinate support to UK citizens directly affected by terrorist events at home or overseas.The unit receives no direct funding but prioritises existing departmental resources to ensure that support to victims of terrorism is comprehensive, co-ordinated and clearly communicated. The unit works across Government, including with third sector and private sector organisations, to improve and strengthen the support available so that victims receive the best possible support, now and in the future.

Home Office: Email and Telephone Services

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reasons are for the (a) £1.37 per minute charge for the public helpline and (b) £5.38 charge for email correspondence.

Caroline Nokes: UK Visas and Immigration in–country contact centres provide information about the Immigration Rules and the Points Based System requirements via a number of published customer enquiry line numbers. In 2014, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, UKVI changed all 0845 and 0870 prefix helpline numbers to lower call tariff rate 0300 prefix numbers. UKVI do not generate any income from these non-geographic numbers enquiry lines.For overseas customers, UK Visas and Immigration have a chargeable call rates of £1.37 per minute and a £5.48 email charge which includes the initial e-mail enquiry plus any follow-up e-mails to and from the contact centre relating to the same enquiry.The international charge (£5.48 per email enquiry) was introduced on 1st June 2017 as part of the UKVI Contact Centre operations contract awarded to SITEL UK LtdThese charges are levied to fund the commercial contract as the UK government believes it is right that those who use and benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the costs of the immigration system. Those who use the services from outside the UK are predominantly prospective customers and in many cases no application will be made and no application fee collected.Our web site www.gov.uk is the main source of information and advice and is free of charge.

British Nationality: Applications

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the administrative cost to the public purse is of processing an application for British citizenship.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office publishes a list of Border, Immigration and Citizenship (BIC) application fees and estimated unit costs which can be reviewed via the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691200/Fees_Unit_Cost_Table_-_April_2018.pdf

Passports: Applications

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the administrative cost to the public purse is of processing a passport for applicants with newly attained British citizenship.

Caroline Nokes: The full costs of processing all UK passport applications are covered by passport fees which are set in accordance with HM Treasury Guidance – Managing Public Money and reviewed on an annual basis. All passport fee income and costs are published within the consolidated Home Office Annual report and Accounts, the latest published version for 2016-17 can be found herehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017The report for 2017-18 is due to be published before summer Parliamentary recess.

Immigration Controls: Airports

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the mean average queue time was for (a) EEA and (b) non-EEA arrivals in each month for the period (i) January 2017 to June 2017 and (ii) January to June 2018 at (A) Heathrow, (B) Gatwick, (C) Stansted, (D) Luton, (E) Edinburgh, (F) Birmingham, (G) Glasgow, (H) Bristol and (I) Belfast International Airport.

Caroline Nokes: Border Force service standards are that 95% of British and other European Economic Area (EEA) passengers, from the point they join an immigration queue, are seen by an officer within 25 minutes. For non-EEA passengers, the service standard is that 95% of passengers are seen by an officer within 45 minutes.We do not publish data on performance at individual ports. Published data on the clearance of passengers at the border can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-may-2018.Data relating to Border Force activity at Heathrow is published on the Heathrow Airport website at https://www.heathrow.com/company/company-news-and-information/performance/airport-operations/border-force

Immigration Controls: Airports

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps Border Force is taking to ensure that passport queues are kept to a minimum during the summer travel peak period at UK airports.

Caroline Nokes: Border Force is committed to providing an excellent service. During the first quarter of 2018, over 95% of passengers seeking entry to the UK at Heathrow were dealt with within the service level agreements. But excellent service must be balanced with Border Force’s responsibility to secure the border.Border Force is taking a number of steps to ensure passengers are dealt with quickly, including through investment in technology and maximising available staff at the busiest times of the day.

Immigration Controls: Airports

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the level of resources and staffing required by Border Force to reduce passport queues at airports.

Caroline Nokes: Border Force has taken a number of steps to help make the customer journey as smooth as possible while continuing to protect and secure the border. This includes proactive planning alongside airport operators and airlines, and new passenger-facing communications tools that are designed to promote faster ways to travel.We have also increased resources that are available to the busiest ports. For example, Border Force is putting in 200 additional staff to help process passengers at Heathrow this summer. They will remain at Heathrow throughout the busiest summer-period to help ensure Border Force delivers an excellent service while continuing to protect the security of the border.The experience for British and other EEA nationals is further enhanced where those passengers travel using biometric passports as they can use our ePassport gates.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's press release of 19 June 2018, Home Office launches review into medical use of cannabis, what the timetable is for the conclusion of (a) part 1 and (b) part 2 of the review into medical cannabis.

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's press release of 19 June 2018, Home Office launches review into medical use of cannabis, when the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will begin part two of the review.

Mr Nick Hurd: As the Home Secretary announced on 19 June, the Government is undertaking a two-phase review looking at the scheduling of cannabis. Part one was led by Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Advisor to the Government, and considered evidence for the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabis based medicinal products. This part of the review is now complete and the report was published on 3 July. Also on 3 July, the Home Secretary commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to undertake part two of the review which will consider the appropriate schedule for cannabis related products, based on the balance of harms and public health requirements. The government has asked for short-term advice within three weeks of the commission with a full review expected by July 2019.

Antisocial Behaviour: Fires

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that Fire Authorities are able to investigate antisocial behaviour in properties that have suffered four fires in a 12 month period.

Mr Nick Hurd: Fire and rescue authorities are able to work in collaboration with their local partner agencies such as the police and local authorities to investigate and tackle anti-social behaviour.

Asylum

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to improve the provision of information for people seeking asylum; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office issues an information leaflet to asylum claimants at the point of claim which outlines the asylum process and the claimant’s responsibilities within that process. This information leaflet is periodically reviewed.Independent guidance and advice is also available to asylum claimants provided by Migrant Help. Migrant Help are present in initial accommodation that destitute asylum seekers are initially housed in and their services can also be accessed via their website or by phone.In the safeguarding strategy that the Government published in November 2017, we committed to producing a leaflet for unaccompanied asylum seeking children about their rights, their entitlements and the asylum process. This leaflet will be provided to unaccompanied asylum seeking children at the point of claim and will also be made available online.

Asylum: Employment

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of permitting people seeking asylum, and their adult dependants, to work in any occupation after 6 months of waiting for a decision on their claim.

Caroline Nokes: Asylum seekers are not allowed to work in the UK unless their claim has been outstanding for at least 12 months through no fault of their own. The policy is designed to protect the resident labour market so that access to employment is prioritised for British citizens and lawful residents, including those granted refugee status. We have no plans to review this policy.

Migrant Workers: Industrial Disputes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has plans to exempt industrial action from the 20-day limit on unpaid annual leave for  migrant workers.

Caroline Nokes: Tiers 2 and 5 are the main immigration routes for skilled and temporary non-EEA workers. Paragraph 323AA of the Immigration Rules defines circumstances in which a Tier 2 or 5 migrant’s leave may be curtailed. This includes absences from work without pay for four weeks or more during any calendar year. There is no specified exemption for strike or industrial action. The Home Office does, however, consider the circumstances before deciding whether to take curtailment action.

Immigration: Children

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of children who have been separated from one or both parents or guardians as a result of immigration enforcement proceedings in each of the last ten years.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many parents were deported or removed from the UK without their children as a result of immigration enforcement in each of the last ten years.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children have been placed in foster or local authority care as a result of immigration enforcement action taken against their parents or guardians in each of the past ten years.

Caroline Nokes: Providing the information requested would require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Police: Labour Turnover

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the wastage rate was for (a) Merseyside Police and (b) all police forces in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officer leavers, as part of the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.Data on leavers are based on the number of workers who left the force during the financial year and are based on full-time equivalents. Wastage rates are calculated by dividing the number of leavers during the financial year by the total number of workers at the end of the previous year (i.e. as at 31 March). This indicates how many of those employed at the start of the current year left during the year.These wastage rates are a good indication of turnover within the police. However, some workers may join and leave the force during the same year, and so would not be included in the rates. This is particularly true for worker types with higher turnover, such as special constables. It is not possible, based on the aggregate data available, to calculate a more precise joiner/leaver rate, as individual workers cannot be tracked.Police officer leavers1 and wastage rates2   Merseyside  Full-time equivalents  MerseysideWastage rate2 (%)Wastage rate excluding transfers (%)  2010/112214.94.7 2011/122185.15.0 2012/132435.95.8 2013/142045.25.0 2014/151954.94.8 2015/162125.65.3 2016/173209.08.0  England and Wales  Full-time equivalents  England and Wales3Wastage rate2 (%)Wastage rate excluding transfers (%)  2010/116,6644.64.4 2011/126,8895.04.7 2012/136,7945.14.7 2013/146,9045.34.7 2014/157,3865.85.2 2015/167,7236.15.6 2016/178,5696.96.0  NotesIncludes transfers to other England and Wales forces but does not include officers leaving after a period of secondment. Wastage rate is the total number of police officers leaving during the financial year, as a proportion of the total officers at the start of the year. Excludes British Transport Police. Data on wastage rates from 2010 to 2017 are provided in the table. The next edition of the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin representing the workforce as at 31 March 2018 is due to be published on 19th July 2018.

Merseyside Police

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of police officers in Merseyside police have served in frontline roles in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the primary function of police officers, as part of the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins.Functions data are collected under the Police Objective Analysis (POA) framework. Officers with multiple responsibilities are recorded under their primary function. The number and proportion of officers employed in frontline policing roles can be calculated according to the frontline policing model set out by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).Data on the number and proportion of officers in frontline policing roles in Merseyside and England and Wales can be found in Table_F5 of the accompanying data tables:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2017

Merseyside Police

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of how many full-time equivalent police officers including long term absentees will be serving in Merseyside Police in each of the next five years.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office has not made an estimate of future police officer numbers in Merseyside for the next five years. The size and composition of the police workforce is a local decision for Chief Constables and Police and Crime CommissionersIn the 2018/19 funding settlement, the Government enabled PCCs to increase the amount of direct funding they could raise locally through Council Tax. This year, Merseyside is seeing an increase in funding of £5.1m following the PCC’s decision to use their flexibility to increase precept. The PCC has stated that the force will recruit officers to help tackle serious and organised crime in the areaDecisions on Government spending beyond 2019/20 will be taken at the Spending Review.

Modern Slavery Strategy and Implementation Group

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the next meeting of the Modern Slavery Strategy and Implementation Group will be held.

Victoria Atkins: The Modern Slavery Strategy and Implementation Group (MSSIG) which I Chair, brings together key stakeholders including civil society to support the implementation of the Government’s modern slavery strategyThe group meets quarterly. The last meeting took place on 24 October 2017. Unfortunately, the meeting scheduled for May 2018 was postponed. The next meeting will take place shortly after recess on 10 September.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on providing refuge and asylum to the Sikh and Hindu communities from Afghanistan.

Caroline Nokes: We have a proud history of providing protection for those who need it, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention. All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits and where someone establishes a well-founded fear of persecution or serious harm in their country they are normally granted protection and are not expected to return there.However, there is no provision in the Immigration Rules for people to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum. Those who need international protection should claim in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.Our resettlement schemes offer a safe and legal route to the UK for the most vulnerable refugees. Membership of a minority religion or group is not in itself one of the vulnerability criteria used to assess eligibility for resettlement but members of minority religions or groups may qualify under the established criteria.Our assessment of the situation for Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan is set out in the relevant country policy and information note, which is available on the Gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-country-policy-and-information-notes.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Staff

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff are employed in his Department for the provision of policy advice.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff are employed in his Department for (i) accounting, (ii) IT, (iii) facilities management and (iv) other business support services.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff are employed in his Department for back-office administration of benefits.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff are employed in his Department for (a) technical and (b) scientific support.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff are employed in his Department for communications.

David Mundell: I refer the hon Member to the answer given on 5 July 2018 (UIN 159706 and 159710).

Scots Gaelic Language

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2018 to Question 155850, what steps his Department is taking to enable Gaelic speakers to complete official documents for (a) the Department for Work and Pensions and (b) other government departments in their native language.

David Mundell: The Office and wider UK Government would support anyone who requires such assistance on a case-by-case basis.

Cabinet Office

Civil Service Agencies: Living Wage

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking ensure that staff working for Government executive agencies are guaranteed the real living wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation.

Oliver Dowden: The UK Living Wage and London Living Wage figures produced by the Living Wage Foundation, are not statutory figures, and are not therefore legally binding on employers.The UK government applies a statutory National Living Wage for all employees over the age of 25, and National Minimum Wage rates for those under 25, through a policy produced by BEIS and audited and enforced by HMRC.Remuneration for all grades below the Senior Civil Service is delegated to individual departments, executive agencies and other organisations. While organisations must comply with the statutory minimum rates, it is for each one to determine pay above this level, and whether or not to match the rates set by the Living Wage Foundation.

Contracts: Billing

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February to Question 125571 on Contracts: Billing, if he will publish the payment performance data for each prime contractor for the periods between (a) April to September 2017 and (b) October 2017 to April 2018 inclusive; if he will publish the data and graphs showing how central Government Departments performed against payment policy targets for 2017-2018; and what steps the Government has taken to improve payment practices in government supply chains since 5 February 2018.

Oliver Dowden: This information is not currently held centrally. Last year, the government introduced a payment reporting system, which requires the UK’s largest businesses to report on their payment practices, policies and performance. Large businesses must report every 6 months on their payment behaviour starting with their first full financial year that starts on or after 6 April 2017. All reports are publicly accessible at: https://check-payment-practices.service.gov.uk/search As of 1 April 2015 all central government departments, including their Executive Agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies, have been required to report on their prompt payment performance. They must publish the percentage of their invoices paid within 5 days and within 30 days on a quarterly basis on their GOV.UK pages. On 10 April, we opened a consultation on whether it would be appropriate to exclude suppliers from major government procurements if they cannot demonstrate a fair, effective and responsible approach to payment in their supply chain management. The consultation closed on 5 June and we are currently analysing the feedback.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Trade With EU: Falkland Islands

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Falkland Islands retains tariff free access to the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government has always been clear that we are committed to engaging the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories as we exit the EU, to ensure that their interests and priorities are properly taken into account. We are seeking a bold and ambitious economic partnership with the EU and want to have the greatest possible tariff- and barrier-free trade with our European neighbours, so that British companies, including Falkland Islands companies, have the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets. I most recently met Hon. Teslyn Barkman, the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly Member leading on Exit issues, at the 4th Joint Ministerial Council Overseas Territories (EU Negotiations) held on the 14th of June. Through discussions in this forum, supported by official level contact, the Government understands the importance to the economic wellbeing of the Falklands Islands of their access to the EU market for fish and meat. We also welcome the substantive input we have received from the Falkland Islands’ Government as the UK prepares to exit the EU.

Economic Situation: Greater Manchester

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish the Government's impact assessment of the effect on economy of Greater Manchester of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Steve Baker: The Government has confirmed that when we bring forward the vote on the final deal, we will ensure that Parliament is presented with the appropriate analysis to make an informed decision. We are committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England, including Greater Manchester. Ministers from across Government have carried out extensive engagement on EU exit - with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy and all regions of the UK, with civil society groups including consumer bodies, trade unions, charities and academia, and with the Mayor of Greater Manchester and other Combined Local Authorities.

Treasury

Children: Day Care

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households in each English region are eligible for tax-free childcare; how many households have applied to the scheme since that scheme was introduced; how many of those households have been accepted; and how many households have received tax-free childcare in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the criteria for eligibility for (a) tax-free childcare, (b) 30 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (c) 15 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (d) 15 hours free childcare for children aged two, (e) free childcare and (f) childcare vouchers has changed since each policy was implemented.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households have taken up childcare vouchers in each English region in each year since that scheme was implemented.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons the childcare vouchers scheme is closing to new applicants in October 2018.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the income profile of recipients of (a) tax-free childcare, (b) 30 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (c) 15 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (d) 15 hours free childcare for two-year-olds, (f) free childcare and (e) childcare vouchers; and what assessment his Department has made of whether the income profile of recipients has changed since each scheme was introduced.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the age profile of recipients of (a) tax free childcare, (b) 30 hours free childcare for children aged three and hour, (c) 15 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (d) 15 hours free childcare for two-year-olds, (f) free childcare and (e) childcare vouchers; and what assessment his Department has made of whether the age profile of recipients has changed in the last three years.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse has been of (a) tax-free childcare, (b) 30 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (c) 15 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (d) 15 hours free childcare for two-year-olds, (f) free childcare and (e) childcare vouchers to date.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of (a) tax-free childcare, (b) 30 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (c) 15 hours free childcare for children aged three and four, (d) 15 hours free childcare for two-year-olds and (e) childcare vouchers to the end of the current spending review period.

Elizabeth Truss: We estimate that around 2 million families are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare. As of 28 June 2018 over 336,000 applications have been made for Tax-Free Childcare and of these 313,000 been found eligible for the scheme. As of the 31 May 2018 over 74,000 families have paid money into their Tax-Free Childcare accounts and received the government top up. The main eligibility criteria for Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare have not changed since they were introduced. To help parents to return to work we have allowed parents to apply for 30 hours free childcare and Tax-Free Childcare 31 days, rather than 14, before returning to, or starting to, work. Additionally, from September 2018, we have extended 30 hours free childcare to foster children, where their foster parents work outside fostering. To receive 30 hours free childcare it must be consistent with the child’s care plan. There have been no policy changes to 15 hours free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds since the policy was introduced. In September 2013, the government introduced 15 hours of early education for two-year-olds who are entitled to free school meals. From September 2014, this was extended to children whose families receive Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross household income of less than £16,190. This was so that children of low income working families, as well as those not in work, would benefit from 15 hours of early education. From 1 April 2018 the Government introduced a net earnings threshold equivalent to £15,400 for families on Universal Credit. The limited tax exemption for childcare vouchers which took effect from 6 April 2005 has been subject to a number of minor technical changes which can affect eligibility. These have mostly been in relation to changes in tax credit regulations and changes to the definition of disabled children in legislation. For question 158283 relating to childcare vouchers HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold this information. I refer the Honourable member to my statement made on 29 March 2018 which sets out the reasons childcare vouchers are closing to new entrants from 4 October 2018 - www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statements/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&member=4097 Data on the income profile of recipients of Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare can only be generated at disproportionate cost. It is not possible to estimate the income distribution of families benefiting from 15 hours of early education for 3 and 4 year olds as this is a universal offer. All recipients of 15 hours early education for 2 year olds earn less than £16,190. The distribution of childcare voucher recipients by annual income for the year 2017-18 is estimated to be as follows: 54% with income of under £45,000, 46% with income in excess of £45,000. No assessment has been made of the change in income profile. Data on the age profile of recipients of Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare can only be generated at disproportionate cost. We do not hold data on the age profile of parents in receipt of 15 hours early education for 3 and 4 year olds or for 15 hours early education for 2 year olds. Based on survey data, the age profile of recipients of childcare vouchers is estimated to be as follows: 5% aged under 30, 61% aged 30 to 39, 34% aged 40 and over. No assessment has been made of any change over time for any of these offers. I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 20 March 2018 (133037). Final Dedicated Schools Grant allocations to fund the Government’s childcare entitlements, for 2016-17 and before, can be found at the following links:  www.webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130123124929/http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/schoolsrevenuefunding/archive/a0064860/final-allocation-of-dedicated-schools-grant-2010-11 www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-2013-to-2014 Final funding allocations for the early years childcare entitlements will be dependent on January census data in the usual way. For information on the cost to the public purse of childcare vouchers in the last year I refer the Honourable gentleman for Tonbridge and Malling to the answer I gave to the Honourable Member for Belfast South (158316). The Government will be spending a record amount on childcare support by 2019/20 – around £6bn per year.

Working Tax Credit

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the income profile of recipients of working tax credit childcare.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the age profile of recipients of working tax credit childcare.

Elizabeth Truss: The tables below show information on the income profile and age profile of recipients of the childcare element of Working Tax Credit. This information is based on the latest Child and Working Tax Credit: finalised award data, for 2016-17, released on the 28th June this year. Average number of in-work recipient families benefitting from the childcare element, 2016-17ThousandsRange of income bandsUp to £6,420£6,421 to £9,999£10,000 to £19,999£20,000 to £29,999£30,000 to £39,999£40,000 to £50,000Over £50,000Total5964112794391369Footnotes   These figures show the average number of recipient families of the childcare element of Working Tax Credit, by income band. This shows the range of gross household income used to tapper Tax Credit entitlement. Age of eldest adult benefitting from the childcare element of Working Tax Credit, 2016-17 Thousands Age of applicant Under 2020-2425-2930-3435-4040-4950-5960 and overTotal   01766908794141369   FootnotesThese figures provide an average count of Tax Credit recipients benefitting from the childcare element, consistent with our National Statistics

Children: Day Care

Emma Little Pengelly: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average benefit per applicant for tax-free childcare.

Emma Little Pengelly: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the childcare voucher scheme in 2017-18.

Emma Little Pengelly: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of tax-free childcare to those families currently registered for it.

Elizabeth Truss: The average benefit per family for Tax-Free Childcare is estimated at £1,100 per year. The value of the income tax and National Insurance reliefs for childcare vouchers in 2017-18 is estimated to be £770m. For Employer Supported Childcare, an estimated £220 million is foregone in relief for employers National Insurance contributions - which is not spent on helping parents with the cost of childcare. The forecast expenditure on Tax-Free Childcare was published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March 2018 at http://cdn.obr.uk/EFO-MaRch_2018.pdf

Financial Services: Regulation

John McDonnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which (a) public, (b) private and (c) self-regulatory bodies are responsible for enforcing compliance with financial sector legislation.

John Glen: It is the responsibility of the independent financial regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Payment Systems Regulator, to supervise firms’ compliance with financial sector regulations and, when necessary, take enforcement action against firms that breach the rules.

Import Duties: Western Sahara

Ian Lavery: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the 21 December 2016 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Polisario vs Council, whether imports from Western Sahara are subject to the preferential tariffs under the EU's trade agreement with Morocco.

Mel Stride: On 21 December 2016 the European Court of Justice ruled that the EU-Morocco trade agreement (known as the Association Agreement) did not apply to Western Sahara and that preferential tariffs could not therefore be applied to products originating in Western Sahara. The European Union has negotiated with Morocco following the court ruling. The EU has put forward a proposal to the Council to amend the relevant protocols of the Association Agreement to amend the territorial scope of the origin of products which could benefit from tariff preferences. The EU has consulted a wide spectrum of Western Saharan representatives, stake-holders, civil society, and other organisations.  The proposed Council Decisions and report of the EU’s consultations are publicly available on the EU’s website: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?qid=1528727963950&uri=COM:2018:479:FIN, and https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?qid=1528728345252&uri=COM:2018:481:FIN, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?qid=1528728473699&uri=SWD:2018:346:FIN

Financial Services: ICT

Clive Lewis: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the increasing use of and reliance on electronic cashless payments on people (a) with protected characteristics and (b) on low incomes; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: While the Government has not made the described assessment, the Government does recognise that people are increasingly moving away from cash and that the growth in the use of digital payments has been rapid. Cash continues to be important, especially for the more vulnerable members of society and the elderly, and for the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK. The Government therefore wants to make sure that our economy is fit for the future and keeps pace with changes in the ways that people manage their finances whilst also ensuring that the public’s legitimate cash needs continue to be met. In Spring, the Government launched a call for evidence on cash and digital payments in the new economy. It sought information on how the shift from cash to digital payments impacts on different sectors, different regions and different demographics. The Government will respond to the call for evidence in due course.

Pensions: Private Sector

Peter Kyle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on private sector pension schemes of the decision to provide full indexation of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions earned in public service to people who reach State Pension Age on or after 6 December 2018 and before 6 April 2021.

Elizabeth Truss: On the 22 January, the Government announced that it would continue to provide full indexation for GMPs earned in public service for those reaching State Pension age on or after 6 December 2018 and before 6 April 2021. The Government considered the impacts of this decision on the private sector as part of its consultation on this issue: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/indexation-and-equalisation-of-gmp-in-public-service-pension-schemes

Children: Day Care

Catherine McKinnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2018 to Question 155282, when the programme of research and analysis related to the tax-free childcare scheme will be complete.

Elizabeth Truss: The programme of research and analysis for Tax-Free Childcare is due to be completed next year.

Financial Services: Powers of Attorney

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2018 to Question 158173, if he will make it his Department's policy to require (a) banks and (b) other financial institutions to check for proof of power of attorney before that person is able to withdraw money from a dependant's bank account.

John Glen: The Government believes that it is important that banks should identify their customers for their own commercial purposes and as part of the fight against financial crime. Each firm will have their own policies on identification, and Government does not prescribe those detailed policies.However, my previous answer on 2 July 2018 referred to the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) guidance notes, which have a formal status under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. In relation to situations where a person deals with assets under a power of attorney, the guidance makes clear that that person is also a customer of the firm: consequently, the identity of holders of powers of attorney should be verified, in addition to that of the donor.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has the objective of protecting and enhancing the integrity of the UK financial system. The FCA use a risk-based approach to supervise retail banks’ compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, including their adherence to the requirements for customer identification. The FCA’s rules require that firms must maintain effective systems and controls to prevent the risk that they might be exploited by criminals or used to further financial crime. Where a firm’s systems and controls are not adequate, the FCA can and does take enforcement action.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Mr Charles Walker: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Government has made of the amount of fuel duty which has not accrued to the public purse as a result of the freeze in duty introduced in the March 2011 Budget.

Robert Jenrick: To support British households and businesses, at Autumn Budget 2017, the government froze fuel duty for the eighth successive year. Since public finances are based on the assumption that fuel duty will increase with RPI at every Budget, any increase below this represents a cost to the Exchequer. Successive freezes since 2011 have saved the average driver £620 compared to what it would have been with RPI increases.Since 2011, the announced freezes to fuel duty have meant the Exchequer has not collected around £46 billion in revenues through to 2018-19. For the purposes of comparison, this is around twice as much as we spend on all NHS nurses and doctors each year.

Student Loans Company: Living Wage

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) Student Loans Company (SLC) staff to ensure all SLC staff based in Scotland are paid as a minimum the Real Living Wage set by the Living Wage Foundation.

Elizabeth Truss: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Finance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding is available for (a) rugby, (b) basketball and other sports clubs to help them attain international recognition and host international matches.

Tracey Crouch: UK Sport, an Arm's Length Body of DCMS, works with National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and other partners to help them build strong and positive relationships with their respective International Federations (IFs) and other national and international sporting bodies.To do this, investment is prioritised to support International Relations strategies for those sports that receive UK Sport World Class Programme funding and/or have an agreed Major Events hosting target. UK Sport also provides limited investment to those sports which fall just outside of its World Class Programme funding. These include fencing, badminton, goalball, weightlifting and wheelchair rugby.The Government has recently confirmed a unique funding support package for British Basketball to help support GB athletes to continue to compete on the world stage in order to inspire communities to engage positively in sport activity. Routed through UK Sport, an investment of £195,000 will be provided to ensure GB athletes can compete at important World Cup qualifying games, which they are hosting in June and July. A further £305,000 has been ring-fenced to enable the GB men’s and women’s senior teams to fulfil further international competition commitments in 2018/19. However, this will only be released if British Basketball can demonstrate a sustainable financial plan to support its athletes going forward.UK Sport has a Major Events programme that invests around £5m a year of national lottery funding to secure and stage international sports events including World Championships, European Championships and top level World Series events in the UK. UK Sport has not provided any Major Event funding to basketball or rugby union over the same period. DCMS funding has been routed via UK Sport to provide rugby league with support for the 2013 and 2021 World Cups:2013: £500k2021: up to £15m

Gambling: Children and Young People

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the recommendations in the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board’s report on children, young people and gambling: a case for action; and if he will make a statement.

Tracey Crouch: The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board are expert advisers to the Gambling Commission on safer gambling and gambling-related harm. Government welcomes the RGSB’s report on children and young people and the Commission’s response. Protecting children and other vulnerable people from harm was a key objective of our Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Review, which was published in May. Our Review, which was informed by advice from the RGSB and Commission, set out measures to increase existing protections around gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising. The Committees of Advertising Practice will publish further guidance on protecting children and young people later this year and additional research has been commissioned on the impact of marketing and advertising on them.

Gambling: Internet

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislation to ensure that gambling websites introduce stronger third-party age verification checks for users.

Tracey Crouch: The Gambling Commission has strong powers requiring licensees to have policies and procedures designed to prevent underage gambling.Under existing requirements, operators have a period of 72 hours to carry out age-verification. However, as set out in the Government response to the Consultation on proposed changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures on 17th May, the Gambling Commission intends to bring forward proposals to remove the current 72 hour window for age-verification checks. This would mean that age-verification must be completed before a customer is able to deposit funds and gamble.The Commission has also considered the availability of free-to-play gambling-style games and plans to strengthen the rules by requiring licensed gambling operators to complete age-verification checks before consumers are able to access free-to-play games.Together with the Minister for Digital and Creative Industries, I will chair a roundtable bringing together the technology and gambling sectors to look at enhancing protections online. The Commission will consult on tightening age verification requirements and is continuing to work with the video games industry to raise awareness of the risks of third parties using its products to provide illegal gambling facilities. We are considering the issue of 16 and 17 year olds playing National Lottery products as part of the design phase of the Fourth Licence.

Broadcasting: Licensing

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress he has made on negotiating a deal with the EU on broadcast licensing.

Margot James: We understand the importance of broadcast licensing arrangements for the sector. As set out by the Prime Minister’s Mansion House Speech, we are seeking to strike a bespoke deal with the EU which would allow for mutual recognition of cross-border broadcasting post EU Exit. However, the final outcome will depend on exit negotiations. Our negotiating teams will continue to work at pace to ensure these are finalised. The Government is committed to working with the broadcasting sector to understand their needs and concerns, and will continue focussing on negotiating the right future relationship with the EU over the coming months.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Catering

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate the Commission has made of the cost to the public purse of awarding an inflationary pay rise for Catering Services team staff.

Tom Brake: A pay rise at the current rate of CPI (2.3%) for employees in the Catering Services team for 2018/19 would cost approximately £120,000.

House of Commons: Catering

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many staff were employed in the House of Commons Catering Services team as of 1 July 2018; and what the projected total payroll cost for that team is for 2018-19.

Tom Brake: There are 255 staff employed in the House of Commons Catering Services team and the projected payroll cost for 2018–19 for that team is £8,506,000.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will review legislation to ensure that people responsible for threatening paramilitary window displays can be prosecuted effectively.

Mr Shailesh Vara: Counter-terrorism legislation already provides for offences of expressing support for a proscribed organisation, publishing images in such a way as to arouse reasonable suspicion that the person is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation, and encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications. Northern Ireland Office officials have worked with the Home Office on the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill currently before Parliament which, among other things, will make it possible to prosecute individuals if they are reckless as to whether their statements will encourage others to support terrorist organisations.